Firsthand Framebuilding has acquired Paragon Machine Works intellectual property, tooling and brand assets with plans to continue producing parts from the companys catalog

Afonso Eulalios Giro d'Italia has already gone far beyond the usual logic of a surprise Maglia Rosa run. The Bahrain - Victorious rider has survived the mountains, survived the time trial, held off Jonas Vingegaard by 27 seconds and now found himself at the centre of a growing national story in Por...

When aerodynamics become a game of chasing single-digit watt reductions in drag (which they mostly have), wheels need to find new ways to differentiate. Parcours has routinely launched innovative designs, and the latest is their new GT line, kicking off with the Strade GT model.What makes these novel is the new VibraCORE, which uses carbon fiber in a new way to dramatically reduce fatigue-inducing vibration frequencies. Heres what you need to knowWhats VibraCORE & how does it work?Not to be confused with Spank Industries Vibrocore foam inserts, Parcours VibraCORE is equal parts material and design.Developed in collaboration with Lineat and Nottingham Trent University, VibraCORE integrates Lineats AFFT (Aligned Formable Fibre Technology) reclaimed carbon material into the spoke bed of the rim as part of the structural layup.AFFT reprocesses reclaimed chopped carbon fibers into a highly aligned fiber tape, which has a different structural behavior compared to conventional continuous carbon fibers (like UD or woven sheets typically used in wheel construction).The key innovation is its placement: VibraCORE is incorporated as a layer within the spoke bed, accounting for approximately 1215% of the total material by volume. The spoke bed is where loads are predominantly compressive and where energy from the tire and road is transferred into the wheel.Unlike most approaches to vibration management in cycling, like tire pressure or frame compliance, VibraCORE dissipates vibration energy at the wheel before it reaches your hands or butt.By the numbers, at 60psi, VibraCORE delivers a 23% reduction in RMS vibrational energy in the 4-12Hz range and 19% in the 20-50Hz range, the ranges most closely associated with rider comfort and fatigue.In non-lab speak, they say the effect is akin to lowering tire pressure by 10-15psi.Theyre also lightweight & aeroThe new Strade GT wheels are also really light (495g front, 635g rear, 1130g total), with rims weights of 370g front and 385g rear. Thats a huge reduction from prior Strade rim weights of 470/480g. Despite that, theyre stronger, with impact testing almost 4x UCI minimum requirements.Additional weight savings come from Alpina Carbolite carbon fiber bladed spokes. This is the first time Parcours is offering carbon spokes, and they say the performance and ride quality are as good or better than steel spokes, but with big weight savings.Rims measure 49.2mm deep in the front, 54.0mm deep in the rear, and are 23.5mm internal with a hooked bead. Theyre aerodynamically optimized for 30mm tires but compatible with 28mm tires, too. With 70030 tires mounted, youll save 3.2watts straight on versus the original non-GT version.Crosswind stability is improved by 15%, though they say that going with tires wider than 30mm begin to negate the improvements in sideways drag reduction.Available now for $3,299 with EZO steel bearings, or $3,589 with ceramic bearings, both with Shimano HG and SRAM XDR freehub body options. Custom hub colors and rim graphics available starting at $70.Parcours.ccThe post New Parcours Strade GT Road Wheels Kill the Buzz w/ VibraCORE damping appeared first on Bikerumor.

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After three years of design work, Sage Titanium Bicycles is accepting pre-orders for Project FAF, a US-made titanium full-suspension mountain bike that's loaded with impressive details. Find all the details here...The post Pre-Orders Open for Sage Titanium Project FAF appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Im sure you all remember a couple of months back, when Paragon Machine Works (PMW), a well-established manufacturer of bicycle frame-building components and tools, announced that after 43 years, it was closing its doors and shutting down for good. It was really sad news, as PMW was a very major player in the bicycle framebuilding community. The industry-wide response was the hope that Paragon would get picked up and purchased. You know, for someone to carry on the long-standing support they had supplied for so long.Paragon pulled back from the brink by Firsthand(Photos / Firsthand Framebuilding)Well, today we are announcing some great news! It was announced today that Firsthand Framebuilding, a Portland-based framebuilding supply and education company, has purchased Portland Machine Works. And they purchased PMWs complete intellectual property portfolio, too.The acquisition is said to include all of PMWs designs and copyrights. They acquired the brand name, trademark assets, and the manufacturing tooling necessary to produce their entire catalog of frame-building supplies.Whew. This is awesome news!But wait, whos Firsthand Framebuilding?Well, as mentioned, theyre based in Portland, Oregon, and are dedicated to supporting the custom bicycle community. They already do this by providing a large and comprehensive selection of high-quality materials, tools, and expertise. The timing of this acquisition couldnt be better. Firsthand says they will be opening a framebuilding school in the Fall of 2026. The new school will offer a range of bike-making classes both for established framebuilders and those who aspire to be framebuilders.Firsthand Framebuilding was already a longtime Paragon dealer. Theyre also the North American distributor for Reynolds steel and titanium frame tubing. Firsthand focuses on both framebuilding education, as well as supplying tools and equipment for the craft. This existing relationship and the mutual shared focus on the framebuilding community made the acquisition a natural fit between the two companies.With PMWs extensive catalog of components and tools now under Firsthands control, they will be able to offer students AND independent framebuilders access to educational resources and the necessary equipment, all in one place. The consolidation could streamline the supply chain for framebuilders who previously needed to source materials and tools from multiple vendors. This, in turn, potentially makes the craft more accessible to newcomers while serving the existing community of bicycle frame manufacturers.From the Horses Mouth:The Norstad family said of the sale, Were proud of the legacy weve created at Paragon Machine Works. Transitions are never easy, but working with Firsthand to secure Paragons future has been a dream come true. To see the product line not only carried on, but by a company that is truly investing in the future of framebuilding, is more than we could have hoped for. Were thankful for our customers support during the last 43 years, and were delighted that the Paragon product line will live on.Firsthands owner, Chris Blandford, added, Like so many, Ive long admired Paragon. The Norstads and their staff have supported the framebuilding community for decades. I am humbled that they have put their faith in me and Firsthand to uphold and carry forward their substantial legacy. In the coming weeks, we will be contacting Paragons customers regarding our plans, product ordering, and timelines.It Wont be EasyDuring the closure, Paragon cited several reasons for its sudden closure, including declining sales and rising costs. So, the purchase of PMW wont be without its challenges. Blandford is also not naive to those hurdles, saying, If the Norstads cant make this business work as-is, then I definitely cant. What weve bought here isnt an operating business we hope to fix or replicate; its a legacy of framebuilding knowledge and design that needed the right steward. That said, Im extremely optimistic that, with the right approach, manufacturing high-quality, affordable framebuilding bits domestically is still very doable and important in 2026. Paragons closure was a gut-check for all of us. With Paragons IP in hand, Im excited to see what the Firsthand team and I can do to bring a fresh perspective to framebuilding component supply in the future.Well, this is really great news. And Im going to be so bold and speak on the Industrys behalf, and I say, we are really glad Paragon Machine Works will live on! Best of luck to Firsthand Framebuilding on the long road ahead. Im confident you guys can make this work!Firsthand.BikeThe post Paragon Machine Works Legacy Lives On! The Bicycle Industry Celebrates a Win. appeared first on Bikerumor.

Specialized has unveiled the new Evade 4, which is said to be 2.4 per cent cooler than before and features an updated internal shape to improve fit and comfort. The brand says the improved cooling and comfort come with zero aero penalty, compared to the highly-rated Evade 3 though this also implies it hasnt managed to move the needle any further in the pursuit of speed. Theres also a small weight penalty, with a size medium Evade 4 now weighing a claimed 290g up from 272g for the previous model. Perhaps, with the UCIs updated helmet regulations banning the use of ear coverings and visors in mass start events, weve reached the peak of what can be achieved with aero road helmets. Peak aero helmet The Evade has long been an 'all-rounder' aero helmet, making it a popular choice amongst racers. Specialized Specialized was one of the first brands to introduce an aero helmet that was versatile, and good looking enough to wear day-to-day, rather than just on cool days. The original Evade, which launched back in 2014, stole a march on existing options, like the Giro Air Attack, by using a more aggressive-looking shape and a decent amount of ventilation holes for cooling. Since then, the Evade formula has remained consistent, with the biggest changes coming for the second-generation model, in 2018, and only minor tweaks since. The Evade has retained a largely consistent shape and style throughout its four generations since the original (top left) launched back in 2014. The Evade 4 is the bottom right model, with 2 and 3 top right and bottom left, respectively. Specialized Its fair to say its a successful formula, too. Not only is the Evade 4 a popular pick amongst Specialized-sponsored pro racers, but its always scored well in our testing (the Evade 3 earned an almost perfect, 4.5 stars). With the UCI putting the kibosh on time trial helmets in road racing, it seems Specialized is instead focusing its development resources on the fact that critical races such as the Tour de France are increasingly ridden in extreme heat. Specialized says it focused on improving the Evade's ventilation as critical races like the Tour are now often raced in extreme weather conditions. Specialized According to Specializeds global category leader for mountain bikes, Sam Benedict, the number of days in the Tour where temperatures reach over 90 degrees [fahrenheit] is higher than ever. So while 2.4 per cent might not look like an enormous improvement on paper, Benedict says it means riders will be more inclined to select the more aerodynamic Evade 4 over the better-ventilated Prevail 3, more of the time. The Evade 4 features an increased number of ventilation holes on its shell. Specialized In terms of physical changes, the Evade 4 features seven ventilation holes on the front of the helmet, compared to just five on the Evade 3, plus an additional slotted ventilation hole on either side of the rear half of the shell. As before, two of the front vents double up as sunglasses storage. Specialized says it took design details from its time trial helmet, the TT5, to inform the Evade 4s aerodynamic design. The Evade 4 features a truncated tail that Specialized says won't penalise riders for looking down. Specialized Lionello Bardina, who manages Specializeds Win Tunnel (its in-house wind tunnel) and its CFD modelling, amongst other things, says the Evade 4 is designed to be flexible in terms of its aero performance. This means it should (in theory) work across a variety of riders and riding positions, and its truncated shape doesnt punish the heads down position riders often adopt during sprint finish, for example. The brand also claims the Evade 4 remains "class-leading" in terms of aero performance, though it hasn't supplied any evidence to back this up. Comfort improvements Improving the Evade's comfort was a key design goal for the fourth generation. Specialized While its hard to quantify how improvements to fit and comfort affect performance, Specialized nevertheless made this an area of focus for the Evade 4. The primary changes, according to the brand, are a change of headform the model head around which a helmet is shaped (similar to a last for a shoe) and an update to the retention system and cradle. The Evade is modelled around a rounder headform than before. Specialized Benedict says the new headform is slightly rounder and less ovalised than before, with the intention it better fits a wider array of people. It also gets an upgrade to MIPS Air Node Pro padding, which is claimed to provide improved protection against rotational brain injuries, in the event of a crash. There's a now an additional side vent on the rear half of each side of the Evade 4, to improve airflow. Specialized As noted previously, the claimed weight from a size medium Evade 4 is up slightly, at 290g for a CE-certified model, or 330g for a CPSC equivalent. Our size medium CE sample, in the White/Red colour scheme, came in just under that at 287g 15g heavier than the Evade 3 we tested in 2023. The retention system and cradle has also been overhauled. Specialized The Specialized Evade 4 costs $350 / 329. UK pricing to be confirmed. It is available now in six colours; Black, White, White/Red, Root Beer, Silver/White and Multi Aurora.

SRAM argues that the UCI should work with cycling industry more over rules

British brand says its climbing-focused wheelset offers an aero advantage over Enves Tour-winning 4.5 Pro while weighing as little as 1,156g, as Hunt also adds a more affordable steel-spoke option to its 5AM Limitless range