Tech round up: Canyon Speedmax CF SLX Hawaii LTD, Rapha Pro Team Training Bib Tights & One More City Collection and Santini Maillot Jaune Winter kit... plus win a Silca Gravelero Pump
Some winter kit, a charitable clothing collection and a time trial bike inspired by an Hawaiian fish
This week’s round up features more winter kit. It’s the season after all.
But less typical perhaps are the details of said kit. Rapha has produced a pair of winter bibs for hard efforts in cold weather, which for those of us who tend to slow it down when it gets cold, or even head indoors, might seem counter intuitive. But as Rapha says: "Races don’t wait for warm weather, and neither should training."
Meanwhile Santini has chosen to battle the cold with some heavy-duty clothing but in colours inspired by July’s ‘Great Loop’ around France. Warm clothing. Summer colours. Could it create some kind of psychological advantage? When your feet have turned to ice, you can no longer feel your hands and you still have twenty miles to get home, anything’s worth a go.
To balance all the cold weather gear we’ve got a TT bike made for this weekend’s World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. It’s a colourful affair with an interesting design backstory. Then there’s more clothing from Rapha; a collection created for the One More City rides taking place this weekend to raise money for cancer research.
And last but not least a competition to win a fancy pump from Silca, a most necessary accessory, regardless of the weather.
Canyon's special edition TT bike inspired by Kona race and tongue-twisting fish
(Image credit: Canyon)
Hawaii is synonymous with the Ironman World Championships and the legendary triathlon returns to Kona this weekend after a forced three-year hiatus.
The last time the race was there, the men's event was won by Jan Frodeno. The German triathlete’s two-wheeled leg was completed aboard Canyon’s Speedmax TT bike and the direct-to-consumer brand has chosen to celebrate being back on the island by unveiling a upgraded limited-edition version of the same bike.
Limited to just 100 units, the Speedmax CF Hawaii is a tribute to both the race and the Island's official state fish, the Humuhumunukunukuapua’a. It’s a stunning looking animal, whose vivid colors have inspired the bike’s colourful paint job. Its name requires a little practice however, which is perhaps why Canyon has opted for the simpler ‘Hawaii’ moniker for the special edition steed. That or it wouldn’t fit on the top tube.
(Image credit: Canyon)
“The incredible island of Hawaii conjures up so much inspiration for me,” says the bike’s designer Lukas Beck. “However, I was particularly drawn to those in the front-row underwater seat for the first part of the World Championships. The special state fish has such a distinctively beautiful color palette that catches your eye. When I designed the new CF SLX Hawaii LTD, I intended to mark the rider as one to watch.”
(Image credit: Canyon)
Judging by the images, Beck will likely have achieved his aim come race day. But it’s not just the bike’s colours that are noteworthy. The Speedmax is equipped to win.
It comes specced with Shimano’s Ultegra Di2 12-speed groupset, a 4iiii powermeter, a Selle Italia Watt Superflow saddle and DT Swiss’s Rapid ARC 1400 Dicut wheels that feature a 62mm depth on the front and 80mm on the rear. Those willing to part with €8,499 for the limited-edition bike will also have the choice of Canyon’s CP0019 flat aero bar or its CP0021 riser aero bar. Decisions, decisions…
Rapha delivers tights for the winter and a collection created to raise money for cancer research
(Image credit: Rapha)
Winter training means different things to different cyclists. For some it's all about indoor efforts on the turbo. For others, it’s time to dust off the winter steed and go slow and steady until spring. Rapha, however, knows that there’s a contingent of race-focused riders who continued to train hard, and outdoors, through the worst of the weather. With this in mind it released the Pro Team Training Tights.
Made for hard efforts in low temperatures, the bib longs are made using a lightweight, 100% recyclable fabric that, according to Rapha, is fast-wicking and mildly compressive. The tights also feature a size-specific Pro Team chamois and, thankfully, a few reflective logos and contrast details for improved visibility in low light conditions.
The Pro Team Training Tights are available in both men’s and women’s and cost $250 / £180.
(Image credit: Rapha)
Rapha has also launched the One More City collection comprising the Pro Team Training jersey and matching cap, socks and musette.
One More City was founded by Christine O’Connell, a keen cyclist who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer in 2018. To date it has raised over £200,000, partly through charity rides, which is used to fund and support two PhD students at The Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College London.
(Image credit: Rapha)
The 2022 ride will see 32 cyclists ride 600 km between Strasbourg and Munich over four days in October and help fundraise for a second PhD studentship at the ICR. Rapha Clubhouses will also host day rides in London, Munich, Amsterdam, San Francisco and Singapore to provide opportunities for more people to support the One More City campaign, while all proceeds from the clothing collection will also go towards the ICR’s research.
“This year’s design was inspired by the ICR’s annual science imaging competition, which showcases images from the ICR’s pioneering cancer research," Christine said. "While representing something terrifying and heartbreaking, I was taken by the beauty of the images…and the story they tell.
(Image credit: Rapha)
"The design also has hints of the floral patterns that have been part of the One More City jerseys from the beginning, with flowers representing resilience and renewal. There is also the traditional story label, a cycling take on how to check your breasts. I want people to have a beautiful jersey that they love wearing, and that carries a unique message.”
Santini channels France in July to help keep you warm this winter
(Image credit: Santini)
We’ve already alluded to the different approaches to cold-weather training. If you’re of the hardy variety and prefer to do your winter miles outside, bringing some summer vibes along for the ride might just provide the psychological boost you need as the mercury drops further.
Santini knows that nothing says summer to a cyclist quite like the Tour de France and so has extended its Maillot Jaune collection to now include some key pieces to get you through the worst of winter.
Highlights include the Allez thermal long sleeve jersey and bib tights, the Allez Vega Xtreme jacket and matching overshoes and gloves. The Allez jersey is made from Hotwind fleece fabric while the jacket uses Polartec Windbloc to provide defense against the wind, rain and cold. The bib longs use a C3 ergonomic pad and have reflective logos to help improve rider visibility.
(Image credit: Santini)
The collection uses blue, black and yellow as its palette with solid colours and graphic designs that Santini says “celebrates the uniqueness of the Tour de France”. Squint the eyes and maybe you can see dappled sunlight or even fields of sunflowers. Perhaps. The ‘Maillot Jaune’ logo is also used throughout, which is described by the Italian brand as “either as a stylised view of a cyclist from above or an athlete with arms raised in victory.”
Saddleback has teamed up with Silca to offer you a chance to create your own custom designed Gravelero pump. The winner will have their design brought to life by Lucia at Velofique Designs.
To enter the competition all you have to do is download the template before submitting the finished artwork to Saddleback.
We featured the Gravelero mini-pump on its release. It builds from the same hose, chuck, and plunger design of Silca’s award winning Tattico pump, but pushes 35% more air from the same overall length. The design has been further refined for gravel and off-road use with a smooth outer texture and improved sealing to reject dirt and mud while also making for easy cleaning.
Luke Friend has worked as a writer, editor and copywriter for twenty five years. Across books, magazines and websites, he's covered a broad range of topics for a range of clients including Major League Baseball, the National Trust and the NHS. He has an MA in Professional Writing from Falmouth University and is a qualified bicycle mechanic. He has been a cycling enthusiast from an early age, partly due to watching the Tour de France on TV. He's a keen follower of bike racing to this day as well as a regular road and gravel rider.
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