Tech of the week: an reasonably priced good bike from Decathlon, a super-chunky Garmin watch, wavy carbon wheels, a carbon fork for the adventurous and pink tyres for dashing Brompton homeowners
The brand new yr is usually a transformative second for cyclists. It is a time for reflection and for wanting ahead. You may select to set objectives or make plans, press reset or choose to repeat. Nevertheless final yr panned out, we will all make a toast to beginning over as soon as once more.
For a lot of, getting fitter would be the major intention. Aligning this with the winter climate all the time appears a tad merciless, making committing to a bout of indoor coaching possible the lesser of two evils. With this in thoughts, we now have an reasonably priced good bike from Decathlon on present, in addition to two new merchandise from Garmin – a smartwatch and a coronary heart fee monitor. Each of those may be worn open air in fact should you favor the open roads to the backyard shed.
However a renewed strategy can be aided by a change in elements, and there is little higher for stoking the fires than a contemporary set of wheels, tyres, and maybe even a fork. We have got three high-performance choices right here: a light-weight street wheelset constructed within the UK, a commuter tyre for folding bikes and a carbon fork for adventurers.
Decathlon Coaching Bike 900
The Coaching Bike 900 comes with a LED console as commonplace.
(Picture credit score: Decathlon)
Whereas most of the finest good bikes are loaded with options, they will additionally price a small fortune. Not so the Coaching Bike 900 from Decathlon.
It gives connectivity to Decathlon’s app and Kinomap, in addition to third-party coaching apps like Zwift, Rouvy and BKool. You too can pair it with a coronary heart fee monitor or smartwatch. And should you simply need to plug in and go, the LED console, which rotates by way of 360 levels, will present you all the fundamental metrics, together with velocity, distance, period of exercise and energy burned.
The bike gives 32 resistance ranges alongside an automated setting that adjusts to simulate a climb or a descent. The utmost resistance is 1000 watts, which is much lower than lots of its costlier rivals, however possible sufficient for the audience. Different particulars embrace a 13 kg magnetic freewheel and a belt drive, which ought to make it pretty quiet when in use.
Decathlon says the bike takes simply half-hour to assemble and may be adjusted for the person by way of the handlebars and the saddle. And the worth? £599.
Garmin Intuition 3 and HRM 200
The burly Intuition 3 options multiband GPS
(Picture credit score: Garmin)
Garmin’s already intensive smartwatch line-up has grown slightly bigger with the addition of the Intuition 3.
It’s promoted as being ‘designed for journey’ and it does seem to chop a reasonably rugged silhouette. The case contains a bolstered bezel and case alongside a scratch-resistant show. It’s shock and thermal-resistant as effectively being rated to 100 metres in depth. There’s even a built-in flashlight with a strobe mode. Multiband GPS additionally provides to its journey credentials.
Provided in two sizes, 45mm and 50mm, it’s constructed round an AMOLED display screen. There’s a photo voltaic mannequin too, which Garmin says in comparison with the earlier model “will get greater than 5 occasions the battery life in GPS mode when photo voltaic charging”.
For a lot of the enchantment of a smartwatch is its capability to trace your well being and wellbeing across the clock. With this in thoughts, the Intuition 3 gives a slew of information, together with coronary heart fee, steps and superior sleep monitoring. You too can obtain a morning report, letting you understand how effectively you slept in addition to exhibiting you the day’s calendar.
It has a number of sport modes together with, in fact, biking. Costs begin at £349.99.
The HRM 200 lets you understand when battery life is low due to a small LED.
(Picture credit score: Garmin)
Garmin has additionally added to its coronary heart fee monitor vary with the HRM 200. It’s mentioned to ship dependable coronary heart fee and coronary heart fee variability knowledge and is appropriate together with your smartwatch, Garmin Edge laptop and good coach. The replaceable battery has a claimed lifetime of a yr, with a small LED letting you understand when it’s low. Provided in two strap sizes it retails at £79.99.
VeloElite RF50 Flux wheels
Quick and steady is the aim of the efficiency focussed RF50 Flux wheels
(Picture credit score: VeloElite)
Whereas we’ve seen wavy rimmed wheels earlier than, it’s a glance that catches the attention. VeloElite has chosen the distinctive design for its new RF50 Flux wheelset. Created primarily for UK using circumstances, the 50/45mm rim depth seems to be to meld aerodynamic efficiency with assured dealing with, whereas the 21mm inner measurement makes it match for contemporary street tyre widths. The uncooked gloss end solely provides to the visible affect.
Tune hubs assist to maintain the general weight of the wheels low.
(Picture credit score: VeloElite)
The edges are paired with Tune hubs, full with ceramic bearings, and Sapim CX Ray spokes, 24 entrance and rear. All of it provides as much as a wheelset with a claimed weight of simply 1325g. Handbuilt within the UK, the retail worth is £1,850.
Goodyear Eagle F1R 16” tyres
Is that this the primary high-performance street tyre created for folding bikes? Goodyear has taken its Eagle F1 components – low rolling resistance, a supple 120tpi casing and a Protect R puncture safety strip – that it makes use of for its 700c race tyres and utilized to a 16” model aimed on the ‘critical’ commuter.
Goodyear seems to be so as to add some color to your commute.
(Picture credit score: Goodyear)
However whereas the 30mm, 120g tyres are designed to ship velocity, cornering security, and puncture resistance, Goodyear hasn’t missed their look too – alongside the normal black you too can get the Eagle F1Rs with clear, yellow, purple and pink sidewalls.
No. 6 Journey fork
Ready for something, you needn’t personal a No. 22 bike to run a No. 6 Journey Fork
(Picture credit score: No. 6 Composites)
No. 6 Composites, sister model of No. 22 Bicycles (the observant amongst you could discover a theme right here), has launched its new carbon Journey Fork as an aftermarket improve for any appropriate body from any model.
It options sizeable +5mm clearance for 50mm x 700c tyres, fender mounts, accent mounts, inner dynamo routing and semi-internal and inner cable routing choices.
Weight is a decent 440g, with an uncut 350mm steerer, and worth is $525.
