Slack Randoms: 3.3kg Bikes, Wireless Only Frames, 'World’s First Alloy Superbike' & More
We use Slack as our workplace communication tool at Pinkbike and we have a #randoms channel which we use to share an assortment of videos and stories from all corners of the cycling world and beyond... We thought a couple of the moments from the past week were too good not to share with a wider audience, so here are some of the highlights.
3.3kg Road Bike Build
We are not sure how fun this bike would be to actually ride, but at 3.3kg it's lighter than some mountain bike frames. Also, after adding a couple of larger battle bottles most of the bike's weight could be water.
Vielo Wireless Only Gravel Bike
The first of two claimed "World Firsts" in this week's slack Randoms is the launch of Vielo's new V+1 Race Edition Gravel Bike that has been purposefully built for wireless drivetrains. Offering a very clean look, the only cables on this bike are for the brakes that are completely internally routed through the bar and stem and into the frame.
The V+1 Race Edition is perhaps the first wireless-only gravel bike and it features a very light 880-gram frame and has been designed to work with SRAM's eTap AXS drivetrains. Vielo founder Ian Hughes said “The V+1 Race Edition follows the same design ethos as the R+1 Alto road bike. If you’re going to build it with a wireless group set, then why not make the frame exclusively wireless?“
You can find out more here.
Specialized Launches the "World's First Alloy Superbike"
Specialized has launched a new Allez Sprint road bike that they claim through 41 years of development is the "fastest alloy bike ever created".
As part of the development of the new bike, Specialized has built what it calls the most complex headtube it has ever made and is cut from a single piece of alloy before being mechanically formed to create a more aero shape.
Specialized says that moving the weld points back from the head tube removes "redundant material from the head tube, promoted a uniform result across all the bikes we built, and minimised strain on high-stress areas of the bike.” The one-piece bottom bracket and downtube are hydroformed from a single piece of alloy on the new frame and remove two weld points from the previous bike. This is said to improve power transfer and structural integrity.
Thief's Stash of Bikes so Large it Can be Seen on Google Maps
Police in Oxford have arrested a 54-year-old man who had been stealing bikes for five years and storing them in his garden. The suspects' collection of stolen bikes had become so large that it was visible on Google Maps, a fact that actually helped the police find him.
Vorsprung Suspension Attempts to Measure Climbing Efficiency and Rolling Resistance
How Strong Are Bolt Threads?
Surfing a 97.3ft Wave
Lucas Chumbo surfs a massive 97ft wave in Nazaré.
BASE Jumping Down a Waterfall
A unique perspective to a BASE Jump off a 900ft waterfall.
3.3kg Road Bike Build
We are not sure how fun this bike would be to actually ride, but at 3.3kg it's lighter than some mountain bike frames. Also, after adding a couple of larger battle bottles most of the bike's weight could be water.
Vielo Wireless Only Gravel Bike
The first of two claimed "World Firsts" in this week's slack Randoms is the launch of Vielo's new V+1 Race Edition Gravel Bike that has been purposefully built for wireless drivetrains. Offering a very clean look, the only cables on this bike are for the brakes that are completely internally routed through the bar and stem and into the frame.
The V+1 Race Edition is perhaps the first wireless-only gravel bike and it features a very light 880-gram frame and has been designed to work with SRAM's eTap AXS drivetrains. Vielo founder Ian Hughes said “The V+1 Race Edition follows the same design ethos as the R+1 Alto road bike. If you’re going to build it with a wireless group set, then why not make the frame exclusively wireless?“
You can find out more here.
Specialized Launches the "World's First Alloy Superbike"
Specialized has launched a new Allez Sprint road bike that they claim through 41 years of development is the "fastest alloy bike ever created".
As part of the development of the new bike, Specialized has built what it calls the most complex headtube it has ever made and is cut from a single piece of alloy before being mechanically formed to create a more aero shape.
Specialized says that moving the weld points back from the head tube removes "redundant material from the head tube, promoted a uniform result across all the bikes we built, and minimised strain on high-stress areas of the bike.” The one-piece bottom bracket and downtube are hydroformed from a single piece of alloy on the new frame and remove two weld points from the previous bike. This is said to improve power transfer and structural integrity.
Thief's Stash of Bikes so Large it Can be Seen on Google Maps
Police in Oxford have arrested a 54-year-old man who had been stealing bikes for five years and storing them in his garden. The suspects' collection of stolen bikes had become so large that it was visible on Google Maps, a fact that actually helped the police find him.
Vorsprung Suspension Attempts to Measure Climbing Efficiency and Rolling Resistance
 | Over the past few years there have been some interesting efforts throughout the bike industry to investigate and understand climbing efficiency. This is understandably important to people, because if you're getting to the top of the hill under your own power, you're going to be spending much more of your time climbing than descending. There's a fair bit to consider, particularly when it comes to measuring efficiency - which turns out to be very difficult to do with bikes. We dig into some of the attempts to measure climbing efficiency, as well as rolling resistance. |
How Strong Are Bolt Threads?
| How strong are hex nuts and bolts? And can we crush these giant ones? We are going to use our 150 ton hydraulic press and 240 force sensor to find out! |
Surfing a 97.3ft Wave
Lucas Chumbo surfs a massive 97ft wave in Nazaré.
BASE Jumping Down a Waterfall
A unique perspective to a BASE Jump off a 900ft waterfall.
Must Read This Week
54 Comments
I think the first company to offer wireless brakes will earn a shitload of money, cause we all know that the look is the most important aspect of any $5k+ bike.
mysmartbrake.com/category/smart-brake/kits-sb/bikes
But probably not if you ride hard.
It was incredibly dull and useless.
Keep your chain clean, blow your tyres up and flick ya lockout if you’re bothered about spending 5mins extra pedalling.
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