Stage 18 of the Giro d'Italia was expected to be contested between the breakaway riders, stage winner Paul Magnier himself admitted. Soudal - Quick-Step however found themselves taking the win after the perfect storm had developed for their two main riders, who executed the sprint finish to perfecti...

Options have historically been slim for riders searching for a rigid replacement fork for a modern hardtail, especially in steel. The new Esker Fork Yeah! aims to fill that gap with a suspension-corrected steel option built around modern geometry, generous tire clearance, and plenty of mounts for cargo, racks, and long days out. See details hereThe post Esker Fork Yeah! Now Available as Standalone Option for $250 appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Purple ano is one thing, but until Fox starts coating their stanchions in a Barney-inspired hue, youll have to go for gold if you want more stuff matched across your bike. Now, Formula is making that a bit easier with the new Kashima-coated Cura brake sets.Available on the Cura 4-piston brakes, both the caliper and master cylinder get the Kashima treatment, applied exclusively by the Miyaki Company in Japan. Its not just a cosmetic option, though, they say the coating on the master cylinders piston gives the brakes a smoother feel.The technical and performance features carry over unchanged from the standard finishes:Four 18mm thermoplastic pistonsLow roll-back sealsTwo-piece lever with feeling control systemTool-free reach adjustmentSintered pads fitted; organic pads included in the boxWeight: 400 gr (85 cm hose, 160 mm 1-piece rotor and mounting hardware)RRP: 310 per brake (adapters and rotors sold separately)They pair nicely with Formulas new Japanese Gold anodized two-piece rotors (160/180/203mm options, 70/76/86 respectively), and are compatible with all of their monolithic rotors and two-piece rotors.New Avinox Compatible Brake Rotors, TooGot one of the new Avinox equipped eMTBs? Formula has a compatible brake rotor for them, with the speed sensor ring integrated into the rotor for a cleaner, lighter setup. Its available in a 200mm diameter with 2.3mm thickness, 6-bolt only. MSRP 80, available in September.RideFormula.comThe post New Kashima Formula Cura Brakes Cure Your Fork Matching FOMO appeared first on Bikerumor.

The new Specialized Crux has officially launched and it has been given a major overhaul. As teased by its leak at the Gralloch earlier this month, the classical lines and round tubes of the previous version are gone, replaced by a suite of truncated aerofoil tubes inspired by Specializeds road racing bikes, such as the Tarmac SL8 and SL7. Notably, though, the fifth-generation Crux hasnt gone all in on aerodynamics as many of the new gravel race bikes we spotted at this year's Traka have. Instead, Specialized has taken a balanced approach to aero and weight driven, it says, by telemetry data from elite races and complex race simulations. Bold as ever, Specialized says the new Crux 5 is the fastest gravel race bike ever made, and that it has the data to prove it. If you want to know how it rides, click through to read my first-ride review of the new Specialized Crux 5 S-Level. Otherwise, keep reading for all the details about how the bike was designed and what models are available. Aero isnt everything Specialized has given the Crux an aero makeover, but that isn't the only focus of this bike. Specialized The most visually obvious change to the new Crux compared to the previous bike is that it's had an aero makeover. To put a number on the potential performance gains this delivers, Specialized says the new Crux is 15.2 watts more aerodynamic at 45kph, when tested in its Win Tunnel with a full-body mannequin with moving legs. It is notable, though, that the new Crux isnt a gravel Venge. Unlike some of the hyper-aero gravel bikes we saw leaked or launched at the Traka earlier this month, such as Ridleys RSS prototype and the prototype Factor,the new Crux is a proper all-rounder race bike, and Specialized was very clear that aero isnt everything here. The tube shapes are more reminiscent of the Tarmac SL7 or SL8 than the Venge. Specialized With that in mind, the new S-Works Crux has a claimed frame weight of only 789g, with stock builds including the new Roval Terra Aero CLX wheels and integrated cockpit (which were both designed in tandem with the new Crux) starting from only 7.2kg. Thats up 64g versus the S-Works Crux 4 frame, but obviously given the move away from round tubes to an aero-optimised design, that is still impressively light. At the launch event for the bike, Specialized even showed off a Crux 5 built with Roval Terra CLX III wheels, slightly narrower tyres and other lightweight components that weighed just over 6.6kg (without pedals or bottle cages, of course). Specialized had an S-Works Crux 5 build weighing only 6.64kg at the bike's launch event. Simon von Bromley / Our Media Weight aside, and perhaps more importantly, the new Crux has also had a significant bump in tyre clearance, up to 55mm with room to spare for mud, and some small tweaks to its geometry. Reach figures have, for example, got slightly longer on larger sizes (+3mm on a size 56) to work better with shorter stems, and to stop some pro riders resorting to excessively long stems to get the reach they want. The head tube angle has also been slackened by half a degree, which sees it drop from 72 to 71.5 degrees on a size 56. Specialized says this change will help increase confidence at speed, due to the fact it should slow down the handling slightly, and it likely also helps mitigate toe overlap with the new larger tyres the bike is designed for. Tyre clearance is a generous 55mm, with plenty of room for mud and tyre tread. The tyre pictured here is a 50mm Tracer TLR on Roval Terra Aero CL rims. Simon von Bromley / Our Media Continuing that theme, the bottom bracket height has been dropped by 6mm to account for the larger tyres, and seat tube angles have been steepened by half a degree across the size range, to put the rider in a more forward position over the BB, and to help with rear tyre clearance. Its impressive to note Specialized hasnt resorted to tricks such as dropped, kinked or super-long chainstays in order to squeeze in that 55mm of tyre clearance at the rear. Despite the bump in clearance, the chainstays are in fact the same length as before, at 425mm on all sizes. Specialized has slackened the head tube angle by 0.5 degrees to improve high-speed handling. Simon von Bromley / Our Media Although it looks simple, Specialized says a lot of work went into designing the Crux's rear triangle. Simon von Bromley / Our Media According to Douglas Russell, a senior design engineer at Specialized, this area of the new Crux was extremely difficult to design, and he spent a lot of hours just on that small section of the frame. Part of the solution was making the new Crux 1x-only, because the inner chainring on a 2x setup would otherwise have caused clearance issues. Fitting big 1x chainrings wont be an issue, though, because the new Crux can clear up to a 52-tooth. Time to finish Specialized's design is driven by data from and modelling of real-world races. Specialized An intriguing question to answer, then, is why did Specialized opt to make a lightweight-aero all-rounder, when so many other brands seem to believe that simply making the most aerodynamic gravel bike possible is the way theyll win races (and/or sell bikes) in the next few years? The answer has to do with Specializeds race-simulation tools and telemetry data that it has been gathering from races such as Unbound over the last few years. Specializeds conclusion is that because gravel racing is slower than road racing, and the rolling resistance is so much higher, theres a different tipping point for how many aero features, and therefore how much weight, you can add to a gravel bike before the benefits dont make it faster in the real world. Matthew Beers (Specialized Off-Road Team) raced with a telemetry system at last year's Unbound to gather data for the Crux 5. Specialized The term Specialized has coined for this is 'time to finish, which means exactly what it says it simulates the race, the rider, the conditions, the equipment and so on, and designs the bike to give the fastest theoretical finishing time. According to this modelling, if Sofa Gmez Villafae had raced the new Crux, instead of the old one, at last years Unbound, shed have finished 9 minutes and 58 seconds faster, potentially moving her up from third to second place. Likewise, Mads Wrtz Schmidt would have saved 7 minutes and 45 seconds on the new Crux according to the same modelling, which could have even netted him the win. Specialized says racers such as Sofa Gmez Villafae (pictured) would have been significantly faster at last year's Unbound, had they been on the new Crux. Specialized Now, of course, thats only if everything else stayed the same, and every other racer was on their previous bike, employing the same tactics, and so on. It illustrates why Specialized has gone down this route with its design, though, because it's basing its design choices on what should according to its models help riders get to the finish line of real races as fast as possible, as opposed to simply chasing the lowest drag figures in a wind tunnel, or the lightest possible weight on the scales. The new Roval Terra cockpit is claimed to account for around 20 per cent of the aerodynamic savings on its own. Simon von Bromley / Our Media In terms of how the aerodynamic savings break down, its interesting to note that Specialized says the new frame is responsible for around 50 per cent of the drag savings, but the new Terra Aero wheels and Terra integrated cockpit account for the other 30 and 20 per cent, respectively. If youve got an old Crux, then, you could theoretically get half of the aero gains on offer here simply by upgrading your wheels and cockpit. Specialized Crux 5 range, specifications and pricing The S-Works Crux 5 is the most expensive build, with flagship components throughout. Specialized There are four builds in the new Specialized Crux 5 line-up, from the range-topping, S-Works Crux 5 AXS with SRAM Red XPLR AXS (11,999 / $14,000 / 13,999) down to the Crux 5 Comp with Rival XPLR AXS (3,999 / $5,800 / 5,799). There are also frameset options for both the S-Works tier, Fact 12R carbon frameset (5,249 / $5,800 / 5,799) and the 10R carbon version, although the latter is only available in the US and Australia ($2,500 / AU$5,000). A new 'S-Level' option replaces the old 'Pro' tier, with a 10R carbon frameset and a more premium build. Notably, a new S-Level build replaces what would have formerly been the second-tier Pro build. The Crux 5 S-Level takes the second-tier Fact 10R frameset and pairs it with a flagship SRAM Red XPLR AXS groupset, the new Terra cockpit and Terra Aero CL wheels (which use the same rims as the CLX wheels, but swap the carbon spokes for steel ones and see DT Swiss 350 hubs in place of 180s). The final build is the mid-range Crux 5 Expert AXS (5,999 / $7,000 / 6,399), with a SRAM Force XPLR AXS groupset, a two-piece aluminium cockpit and Roval Terra CL III carbon wheels. The Crux 5 Expert Specialized and Crux 5 Comp round out the range of complete builds. Specialized

Jonas Vingegaard is the main favourite for the following two stages of the Giro d'Italia, but this Thursday's stage was not as relaxed as the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider expected, as he had to follow along with the very high pace and even cover attacks in the final kilometers. For the Dane, a b...

Pretty much every time I get an email about some new aero carbon tech, its accompanied by a staggering pricetag, yet thats not at all the case with these new ERE Explorator CCR45 wheels. Properly affordable, these new aero carbon all-road and gravel-rated wheels sell for just $699 / 599 / 699. And they dont seem to make any real compromises either.Wild.Affordable All-Road & Gravel-Ready Tech Details(All photos/ERE)Lets just jump right in with the ERE Explorator CCR45 details, and first let them speak for themselves:aerodynamic 45mm deep carbon rim profile (365g claimed)25mm hooked internal rim width hooked tubeless compatible (pre-taped for tubeless, but does not include tubeless valves)optimized for 32-55mm tires (compatible with 29-71mm tires)double-butted Alpina Extralite straight-pull stainless steel spokes (20 front & 24 rear) with brass nipplesEREs own Iona II alloy straight-pull, centerlock 3-pawl hubs (36T, 10 engagement?)all freehubs available: Shimano HG, SRAM XDR, Shimano MicroSpline, Campagnolo, Campagnolo N3Wcustom low-friction 6902 (standard size) sealed stainless bearings1575g wheelset weight (claimed)UCI-approvedlifetime warranty & crash replacement program (if registered within 60 days)130kg max rider weightERE Explorator CCR45 affordable carbon all-road wheelsThese are a truly budget-friendly option for anyone looking to upgrade a bike with a more basic aluminum wheelset. Or possibly also a great option for someone with either a road or gravel bike, looking to pick up a second wheelset to expand the versatility of their current setup with a different type of tires. All road tires that fit into your road bike, gravel tires that fit into your all-road bike, or faster rolling road slicks to speed up your current gravel bike. A second wheelset means having condition-specific tires without ever having to deal with the sealant mess of tubeless swaps.And all it will cost you is $699 / 599 / 699 for the carbon ERE Explorator CCR45 wheelset. Plus, the cost of some new tires, a cassette & rotors since you are trying to get a fast swap going, right?One wheelset. Every surface.The Explorator CCR45 combines the speed of a modern aero road wheelset with the stability and control required for gravel and all-road riding.Thanks to its wide 25mm internal rim width, the wheelset perfectly supports modern tires between 32mm and 55mm, while maintaining full compatibility from 29mm up to 71mm (ETRTO). This makes the CCR45 equally at home on a fast endurance road bike as it is on an aggressive gravel setup.The hooked carbon rims are fully tubeless-ready and built around a carefully optimized carbon layup for maximum stiffness, durability, and ride comfort.How do they compare?At 1575g, sure there are plenty of lighter mid-depth aero carbon road and endurance all-road wheels, many of which are between 100g lighter, but sometimes as much as 50g heavier than these. Not nearly as many lighter when we factor in that these are tested and approved for gravel, too. Plus, in most cases, similar carbon wheels cost at least 2x as much as these new ERE wheels. Even the cheapest of those is typically more than $1200/1000. And with butted stainless spokes and proper brass nipples, these are wheels built to last.ERE Explorator CCR45 Pricing, options & availability$700, 1575g, 45mm deep & 25mm internal is simply a solid combination. And a really great value.The new carbon Explorator CCR45 wheels are available to pre-order now directly from ERE, expected to come back in stock in just over a week. The wheels include free worldwide shipping, are backed by a Lifetime Warranty against defects, a Crash Replacement program for actual rider-induced damage, and you can even try them risk-free for 30 days and return them if you arent satisfied.But really, they look like theyre gonna be hard to beat.EREresearch.comThe post ERE Explorator CCR45 Unveils Modern Aero Carbon All-Road Wheelset at Only $700 appeared first on Bikerumor.

A Spanish Criminal Court has convicted Marcos Maynar Mario and Ignacio Bartolom Snchez for trafficking unauthorized medicines linked to supplying substances to athletes, mainly cyclists and swimmers, in the socalled Operacin Ilex. However, it acquits the doctor and Vicente Belda of sporting dop...

Overpowered bicycle-shaped objects are actually classed as e-mopeds and must be registered and insured, with the rider required to wear a helmet, Garda have warned. An AM licence is also needed for such e-mopeds. The warning comes as often these e-mopeds are mistaken for pedal-assisted bicycles, which are called e-bikes for short. Both e-mopeds and e-bikes can have pedals, but there are differences. The key requirements for an electric bike to be legally counted as a bicycle are that the motor must stop assisting at 25km/h and must not have a continuous rated power output exceeding 250W.It must also strictly not have a throttle, which is a button or twist grip that enables the bicycle to move continuously without pedalling. A Garda spokesperson said: The e-bike, by nature, is a superb option for those wanting a versatile modern green transport option. It pairs a light (ish) frame with a 250W motor with different degrees of assistance from the motor, with all assistance ceasing at 25kmh and pedalling required at all times [unless going downhill, etc].In a post titled When the lines blur on An Garda Sochna Kilkennys Facebook page, the spokesperson said: The Shengmilo MX03, like the one pictured, is an e-moped with a 1,000w motor and capable of throttle-only travel. It requires tax, insurance and a helmet.ALSO READ: Explainer: Differences between e-scooters, bicycles, e-bicycles and speed e-bikes Gardai confirmed that the e-moped and Kukirin e-scooter, which is illegal because it is overpowered, were seized yesterday evening by Road Policing officers. Both riders from the same household have a day in court, the spokesperson said.The post said that legal e-bike and e-scooter riders could relax as long as they obey the rules of use, theyll have nothing to worry about. But they warned that its its only a matter of time before they catch people who persist with the illegal machines requiring insurance and registration.MAIN IMAGE: From the Garda Facebook pages; CHART BELOW: By IrishCycle.com, see full explainer here.

The Giro dItalia is not only shaped by attacks in the mountains and sprint finishes on the road, but also by the decisions made behind the scenes by the race commissaires. Across three weeks of racing between 8 May and 31 May, fines, time penalties, relegations, and other sanctions can quickly infl...

Jasper De Buyst has seen the opening part of his season swept from under him after sufferinga heart rhythm disorder in March. The 32-year-old had just raced the UAE Tour and was primed for the spring classics before he started to feel symptoms of the disorder, and it wouldn't be the first time for...