Gravel bike pioneer Opens latest incarnation of the ground-breaking UP, the UP.PER 2.0 builds on the original striking design. The Swiss brand claims the new bike brings crisper handling alongside increased tyre clearance of 46mm. The UP.PER 2.0 is described as the ideal bike for fast group rides on- and off-road, alongside gravel racing and bikepacking. For riders looking for more clearance, Open offers the WI.DE frameset, or if you want a more all-road oriented lightweight design, there's the CONCE.PT, which we first saw at the COREbike show in 2025. Read more: Open unveils beautiful raw carbon U.P.PER. CONCE.PT gravel bike Open UP.PER 2.0 details The custom paint finish is one of only two made. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia Open promises improved aerodynamics and frame compliance from the UP.PER 2.0 the two factors that combine to enable faster and further rides. As ever with Open, the details are everything, with the frame and fork having size-specific dimensions across all five sizes. The size-specific fork crown is an industry first, ensuring the all-important handling is the same from the smallest to largest bike sizes. The new UP.PER frame and fork are said to offer improved aerodynamics and comfort. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia Open is also offering two fork choices a mount-less, deep-bladed aero option and an anything-mounts equipped, narrower adventure variant. The made-in-Portugal frames come with a UDH-compatible rear dropout, T47 threaded bottom bracket shell and full internal routing. The UP.PER 2.0 has a T47 threaded bottom bracket shell. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia Combined with the frame and fork is Opens own one-piece aero cockpit, called the B.A.R. (available in 10 sizes from 60 to 130mm reach and 380mm to 440mm width). All the cockpits feature a unique reach adjustment for the stem section. A second bolt sitting ahead of the usual compression bolt adjusts a slider system that can alter the reach by up to 15mm in 5mm increments. The new Open B.A.R. cockpit is available in 10 sizes. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia The improved compliance comes from details such as the super-thin seatstays (named wire-stays). These have a bowed shape, which Open says is pre-set to allow vibration-absorbing flex. On the new frame design, the flex has been rotated 90 degrees so the stays bow out sideways under load instead of downwards as on previous incarnations. The new Open cockpit offers 15mm of reach adjustment in 5mm increments. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia While Open pioneered the original dropped-stay design to improve tyre clearance, the UP.PER 2.0 has much more aesthetically pleasing straight chainstays, yet maintains a 46mm tyre clearance. The UP.PER 2.0 frame has a 27.2mm round seatpost. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia Sensibly, Open has opted for a 27.2mm-diameter round post rather than a proprietary design. That means a wide range of suspension and dropper-post compatibility. Price and weight details The UDH rear dropout offers lots of compatibility options. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia The UP.PER 2.0 has a claimed frame weight of 880g, with the fork adding 375g. The frameset (including the fork and bar system) is priced at 4,999 / $5,300 / 4,200. Ready-to-paint custom Alongside a wide range of standard colours, all of Opens frames are available in RRTP (raw-ready-to-paint). As the name suggests, a finished frame is left raw and ready to be finished by a painter of your choice or one of Opens partners. The custom-paint option here is one of two, from the brand's partner in Italy, Tony Spray. The frameset is one of two worldwide and the custom build is by UK Open distributor Silverfish. Warren Rossiter / Ourmedia The build is a custom specification from UK Open distributor Silverfish, based around a SRAM Force XPLR drivetrain, running Easton EC90 AX gravel wheels and Michelin Power Gravel tyres, inflated with Peaty's new fast-flow tubeless valves. It featurs an SDG Bel Air V3 Overland carbon saddle, sitting atop an Easton EC90 AX post. The brake rotors are Galfers lightweight Wave rotors. A build like this would retail for between 9,000 and 10,000 before adding the custom paint finish.

Pack up your troubles and dive into this week's tech round up; with new kit from Restrap; Quirk; 4iiii and mobile giants 02.

The Opening Weekend of the European spring once again begins with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and while nothing is final just yet, the startlist for the 2026 edition already hints at a deep and intriguing race in waiting. Traditionally the first real collision of the Classics specialists each year, Omloo...

This weeks Debrief features the new Surly Preamble, fresh Poco Pannier colors, photochromic Ombraz sunglasses, Rogue Panda's destruction test, several events to follow live, and much more. Find it all hereThe post Friday Debrief: New Surly Preamble, Poco Pannier Colors, Photochromic Ombraz, and More appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Just last week, Sea to Summit unveiled their updated Telos Evo Bikepacking tent, which upgraded its waterproofing and dropped its price. Now, theyve launched a new ultralight sleeping bag & sleeping pad, an upgraded pillow, and reintroduced the waterproof tent dry bags as a standalone option.All in, the pad, bag & pillow add up to as little as 852 grams (1.88 pounds), making it easy to sleep well without overloading. Heres the deetsSea to Summit Spark Down Sleeping BagAs long as you dont mind a narrow mummy bag design, the new Sea to Summit Spark Down Sleeping Bag delivers 850+ fill power RDS-certified down insulation with non-PFAS Ultra-Dry treatment in weights as low as 12.8 oz.It compresses to just 2.4L in its smallest size, but there are a lot of options to cover temps from 45F to 0F, and sizes from Regular to Long to Double. Weights range from just 363g up to 1204g for the thickest (0) model, and 1,543g for the 15 Double. MSRP from $349 to $679, and $999 for the Double.Ultralight XR Insulated Air Sleeping PadThe Sea to Summit Ultralight XR Insulated Air Sleeping Pad features 151 Air Sprung Cells for body contouring and pressure point reduction, weighing as little as 13.8oz (0.86lbs, or 390g) with an R-value of 3.6. It measures 2.6 thick and comes in three sizes:Small: 56 x 21.5 x 2.6 390gRegular: 60 x 21.5 x 2.6 415gTall: 66 x 25 x 2.6 530gThose claimed weights are without the ~43g stuff sack, which is included but you may not need on your trip.The pad includes an integrated pump sack system so you dont have to blow into it directly, and their multi-function valve makes it easy to both inflate and deflate separately and quickly. MSRP is $139 to $169.We tested their 4-thick Ether Light XT (now called Ether Light XR) sleeping pad and loved it. This new one shaves 55g to 75g off the weight (depending on size), but is considerably thinner. Personally, wed opt for the extra thickness, but when grams and dollars count, the Ether Light XR is also a bit more expensive.Aeros Premium PillowSea to Summits updated Aeros Premium Pillow combines a new memory foam padding with an adjustable air chamber system, combining comfort with the ability to pack small and fine-tune thickness when sleeping.It has a hydrolysis-resistant TPU construction that packs down to 3.1 x 4.3 x 3.1 inches while weighing 3.5oz (99g) in the regular size. Theres also a Large (150g) and XL (250g). MSRP $54.95 to $69.95, available in four colors, with a mini XPRESS valve for easy filling & deflating with the mattress stuff sack.Evac Bikepack Dry Bag SetThe original Telos Bikepack tent came with these bags included, but, if youre stuffing your tent into a frame bag or pannier, werent needed. So, the new tent dropped them (and its price), and now theyre available separately.The Evac Bikepack Dry Bag set includes two 3.7L dry bags engineered specifically for bikepacking applications with tough 420D HD ripstop nylon construction, fully taped seams, roll-top hypalon closures, and strap loops on the back.Theyre sized for the shorter tent poles used by the Telos Bikepack tent, but should also work for similar tents from other brands. Or just any random gear you want to keep dry and accessible. Dimensions are 4.3 x 5.5 x 11.8, weight is 5.8oz (165g) per bag. MSRP is $110/set.The bags mount to your fork with integrated Stretch-Loc straps with keepers and triple lash rails that work with various cargo cages. Hypalon wear patches on contact areas provide grip enhancement and abrasion resistance against fork legs and frame tubes. The interior has a TPU laminate with white lining for improved gear visibility, and field-repairable buckles mean you can repair every part of them.SeaToSummit.comThe post Sea to Summit Lays Out Even More Ultralight Bikepacking Gear appeared first on Bikerumor.

The International Testing Agency (ITA) has fired back at criticisms of its power-data monitoring trial, telling BikeRadar that a majority of the comments and unanswered questions surrounding the project have actually been addressed from the start. The scheme, which was announced by cyclings international governing body, the UCI, last year, was revealed to be in progress by the president of the professional riders' union, Adam Hansen, in an interview with Domestique in January. Speaking on the Domestique Hotseat podcast, Hansen said that while the trial was being conducted on a voluntary basis, there were a number of outstanding concerns surrounding how the data would be interpreted, and what would happen in instances where riders were unable to submit their data for analysis. According to the ITA, however, the trial aims at finding out whether the power data can be used as a potential indicator for doping or not, and that these tools would only be used if they prove to be reliable. Why monitor power data? Adam Hansen (left) at the 2026 Tour Down Under. Dario Belingheri / Getty Images Concerns around feasibility aside, a core tenet of Hansens argument against the collection and monitoring of riders power data was that it would represent an additional stress on athletes who are already subject to a number of anti-doping tools (such as post-race controls, the Whereabouts system and the athlete biological passport). The ITA, however, says power data is at the core of professional road cycling, and is already scrutinised" by riders and teams to monitor and improve riders' performance. It says the power data of professional riders is discussed routinely by riders themselves, their teams, the media and fans of the sport, but that paradoxically, the ITA does not have access to it. The trial, the ITA says, is therefore designed to study the feasibility of collecting and analysing rider data as a supplementary tool to help identify potential indicators of doping. Counter to Hansens claim that irregularities in a riders power data could one day lead to them being sanctioned for a doping violation, the ITA says the power-profiling scheme is intended to act as a supplementary anti-doping tool only. The ITA said riders would not be sanctioned for potential anti-doping rule violations through an unexpected excess performance as determined by the modelling. How would the ITAs power-data passport work? To make a power passport that would work, the ITA says it is working with the University of Kent and University College London on a 2-year feasibility and pilot study for the scheme, with a view to using it to inform anti-doping strategies as a supplementary intelligence tool. Before it is implemented as a mandatory scheme for all professional cycling teams, though, the ITA says the trial must clear the following hurdles: Establishing typical levels of variability within training and race data, taking into account power-meter systematic and random error. Understanding the relationship between training data and race performance. Developing longitudinal training and race profiles for riders within UCI Professional Road Cycling Teams. Development of a plausible approach for the implementation of performance monitoring in professional road cycling using power data, built on the concept of excess performance that is informed by longitudinal analysis of training data, past race history and relative race performance. The ITA says its important to collect data from both training and racing, in order to define what constitutes normal variation and identify typical rates of progression throughout a riders career in comparison to age matched counterparts. It says race data alone may not fully represent a riders capabilities, if tactical considerations limit their maximal effort. Nevertheless, the ITA says longitudinal profiles will be built on race performance, not training data considering its reliability. Training data will instead be used to help estimate each riders likely maximal performance capacity and to review suspicious profiles that present unexpected excess performance. What happens when riders cant submit data? Hansen's concern over what would happen if a power meter ran out of battery or a computer was lost is "exactly why" the ITA is conducting a feasibility study. Scott Windsor / Our Media Directly addressing Hansens claim that it was unclear what would happen if a riders power meter ran out of battery mid-ride, or if they lost their bike computer, the ITA told BikeRadar that this is exactly why the feasibility study is being conducted. The trial aims to establish what level of performance change can be systematically detected, and how did this relate to actual race performances? the ITA says. The focus is on changes over time, not the impact of individual training sessions. As for factors that may affect a riders power output on a day-to-day basis, such as sleep quality, fatigue, their training plan and so on, the ITA says simply If a riders performance changes, whether positively or negatively, we are concerned only with the outcome, the change in performance itself. It does not matter to us how the change came about, because we do not have the data to explain the underlying cause. The analysis is simply intended to highlight performance progressions or gains that fall outside the statistically expected normal range for that rider and compared with their peers. The ITA says that if a rider were flagged by the system, it would follow up by reviewing additional data (e.g. training calendar, whereabouts) to determine whether there is an obvious explanation, such as an altitude camp or other influencing factors. Nevertheless, it says the tool would be used only to inform and refine the testing strategy, and that the system flagging a rider for further analysis does not imply wrongdoing because there may be entirely legitimate reasons for their performance change. In such cases, even if they are tested, they would not be expected to produce an adverse analytical finding (AAF), the ITA adds. On power-meter accuracy and variability One reviewer called Shimano's Dura-Ace FC-R9200-P power meter crankset "astonishingly inaccurate". Simon von Bromley / Our Media One potential issue we raised with the ITA is the potential for errors due to issues with the power meters used by professional cyclists. Shimanos current Dura-Ace FC-R9200-P power meter crankset, which is used by several professional teams, is widely believed to suffer from accuracy issues, with one respected tester labelling it astonishingly inaccurate in 2023. On this point, the ITA said: There is no doubt that the inter- and intra-device precision and reliability of commercially used power meters, calibration methods and standards is variable across manufacturers. We need to understand the accuracy of power meters and the reliability of devices used by professional cyclists to capture data, and variables that can affect these things. Nevertheless, it says these issues are precisely the reason why we are conducting the feasibility study and results will be shared at the end of the study to see whether implementing power monitoring is feasible given these, and other challenges. Voluntary, for now The ITA confirmed Hansens claim that four pro teams are involved with the trial, and said around 50 riders have signed up with the project and consented to share their historical power data. It said that riders were given information notice explaining the purpose and legal basis of the project, data collection and processing methods, data sharing protocols and rights of the riders, before they consented to participate in the study. Nevertheless, it did also say that Depending on the development and outcomes of the feasibility study, it is anticipated that the sharing of power data will be integrated into UCI regulations. Therefore, data collection will shift from voluntary consent to a regulatory mandate.

World Bicycle Relief has now sent a million of its Buffalo Bikes to rural communities in Asia, Africa and Latin America

The women's peloton will be racing the Omloop het Nieuwsblad on the 28th of February. The Belgian classic, the first cobbled one of the spring, is a key point as riders test their winter form on the classic bergs of Flanders including the brutal Muur de Geraardsbergen. We preview the race, which is...

Our Reader's Rig of the week comes from Josh Uhl in Wisconsin, who shares his custom Good Grief S.E.A.R. Machine, a bike that's unlike anything we've ever seen before. Find a detailed look at Josh's double-single-triple dingle 26+ mountain klunker here...The post Readers Rig: Joshs Good Grief S.E.A.R. Machine appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Ride. Spin. Unlock. Repeat.Zwift is bringing back The Big Spin from March 16 through April 6. If youve been around Watopia long enough, you already know the drill. Four stages. Big group rides. Finish a stage, and you get to spin the wheel for prizes. Simple, addictive, and surprisingly motivating when youre staring at another indoor session because it just keeps snowing(All photos/Zwift)This years tour sticks to Watopia, bouncing riders from the wide-open speed of Fuego Flats to the jungle-covered climbs and coastal rollers that make the island feel bigger than it has any right to be. Its social, its structured, and yes, theres loot involved.Spin to Unlock (And Keep Spinning)Complete any stage, and you get a shot at the prize wheel. Zwift has added 12 new unlocks this year, including four fresh kits, a Big Spin Tri-Spoke wheelset, a Limeade helmet, a Titan Grove hat, a bandana, a beanie, a Fuego Flats cowboy hat, Jungle headphones, and even a new MX Rider bike (photo above; looks cool).And heres the hook: theres no limit. You can repeat stages as many times as you want if youre chasing every unlock. If youve ever found yourself doing just one more for that last cosmetic piece, you know exactly how this goes.Mystery Spinners? Yes, Please.New for 2026, Zwift has hidden Mystery Spinners around Watopia. Starting February 27, eight treasure chest-marked spinners will be scattered across the map, unlocking prizes from past Big Spin events.Translation: if you like exploring side roads instead of just clicking Join Event, theres now a reason to go hunting.The Four Stages of Zwifts Big Spin Each stage runs as hourly group rides, but you can also complete them on demand if your schedule is less trainer party and more squeeze it in before dinner.Stage 1 Desert DiscoveryRoute: Flat Out Fast21.4km // 46m climbingA pure speed opener across Fuego Flats.Stage 2 Hidden TempleRoute: Mayan San Remo21km // 219m climbingPunchy jungle rollers that reward steady power.Stage 3 Lost Coast AdventureRoute: Southern Coast Cruise26.3km // 147m climbingLonger coastal stretches with enough elevation to keep it honest.Stage 4 Sand & SequoiasRoute: Sand & Sequoias20.1km // 175m climbingA greatest-hits mix of dirt, pavement, and redwoods.At its core, Big Spin is what Zwift does well: turning indoor training into something that feels less like an obligation and more like a game. This is the time when athletes who have spent most of the winter training indoors are starting to crack. The Big Spin breaks it up and adds some fun. Theres structure, theres community, and theres just enough incentive to keep you clicking into another ride.If you were looking for a reason to log (more) miles indoors this spring, this might be it.More info at Zwift.comThe post Zwifts Big Spin Is Back Four Stages, More Unlocks, and Even More Ways to Win appeared first on Bikerumor.