Body Rocket's real time aero sensor now available to pre-order on Kickstarter from £2,200, new Scribe alloy wheels, Selle Royal's choc chip ice cream-inspired saddle tech, mysterious new Van Rysel gravel bike + more

It's been another interesting week for cycling tech, and we're getting seriously techy, too. Yes there's some new components, but we've also got more news about one of the most intriguing products around right now for you aerodynamicists out there, as well as a virtual fitting room for cyclists to help you buy the right size of clothing. 

And then there are three new affordable sets of wheels from Scribe, chocolate ice cream-inspired saddles and more weirdly interesting cycling tech for you to peruse at your leisure... 

Pre-orders open on Kickstarter for "world's first real-time aerodynamic direct drag force measurement system"... and you'll need at least £2,200 to make it yours

Phew, that was a long description. But if you're an aero nerd, you'll be pleased to hear that Body Rocket - that we've covered a few times in 2024 including a live aero helmet testing session using the technology - is now live for pre-orders.

What exactly is Body Rocket, then? It's basically your own personal wind tunnel engineer in real-time, and uses proprietary force sensors located on rider contact points (and an airspeed sensor out front) to transmit data to your Garmin. And, it's backed by former pro rider Alex Dowsett, and the ambitious Olympic champion triathlete Kristian Blummenfelt.

> What we learnt using the "world's first real-time aerodynamic drag force measurement system for cyclists"

The data gives you feedback on your aerodynamics and body position, apparently allowing riders to get real-time information on what they're doing without the need to hire a wind tunnel for testing. Of course, AI has to be part of this somewhere, and in this case it's analysis software called 'BRIAN', or Body Rocket Individualised AI Network. 

If you've made it through all that and are interested, pre-orders are now live via Kickstarter. If you're quick enough you can get the Super Early Bird option at £2,200, and the aim is for orders to start shipping from May 2025. All the normal Kickstarter rules and regulations apply, which we'd advise having a good read of before putting down this kind of cash. 

Find out more on Kickstarter

Van Rysel unveils mysterious new GCR gravel bike (sort of)

As the world's biggest sports shop that sells more bikes than almost every other bike brand going, you might expect a launch from Decathlon's flagship bike brand Van Rysel to have a certain amount of fanfare behind it... which is sort of true, except for it's all happened via the YouTube channel of a chap named Lawrence Carpenter so far. 

Carpenter unboxes his sparkling new 2025 bike, that will be the first gravel bike in Van Rysel's range and designed to be compatible with SRAM's Force electronic groupset, he says. He appears to have a good time on it, and says he is looking forward to trying it out some more in due course. 

We asked Decathlon and its PR firm for more info, and were told nothing other than a plan is being formulated to promote the bike and we'll be updated soon. Unusual tekkers from the sporting goods giant maybe, but all credit to Mr Carpenter for the scoop! 

Scribe launches 3 new alloy wheelsets, starting at just £300

You don't have to spend a fortune when you're looking to upgrade your wheels, and if you're going from stock to something new that's usually an upgrade in itself. So what about these new wheels from Scribe, then? 

There are three new alloy wheels: the 265 Disc at £299, the Race Disc at £369 and the Pace Rim at £359. So two disc options and one rim... rim brake lovers rejoice! Both disc options come with 21mm internal and 26mm external diameters, and can be run with tubeless tyres. 

The Pace Rim wheelset comes with a 19mm internal and 24mm external diameter, and weighs 1,495g. The 365 Disc is positioned as an all-year-round wheelset and weighs 1,598g. Perhaps most importantly for winter riders, it comes with brass nipples. Huzzah. The Race Disc option is 1,470g and Scribe claims that it offers "high alloy performance". 

Discover the new range on Scribe's website

Selle Royal's Stracciatella technology takes waste materials and makes it into foam padding

We all know that cycling is by and large green  compared to other private transport options... but the manufacturing of bicycles? Not so much. Anything that uses an industrial process, by its very nature isn't great for the planet, but as part of the brand's commitment to a more "circular and responsible production process", the saddle expert Selle Royal has created 'Stracciatella technology.'

It's somewhat bizarrely named after the famous Italian chocolate chip ice cream, because it is being applied to Selle Royal's "creamy foam with tasty chips of used saddles". I'd probably be more enticed by if it wasn't 8 degrees outside. But I digress... the technology allows the brand to take waste materials from its saddle production to be transformed into granules. These granules (the metaphorical chocolate chips) can then be integrated into the foam padding (the cream) of new saddles, and thus, the circle of saddle life is complete.

To begin with the technology will only be introduced into the Lookin range of saddles, but there are plans to use it in other saddle lines later on. 

Ciovita introduces Sizebay virtual fitting room to make finding the right size easier and cut down on returns

South African cycling kit brand Ciovita has decided to take action and help people to ensure they buy kit online that actually fits. It claims that between 30-40% of all clothes bought online are returned, and this not only costs companies money but it's not exactly great for the planet, either. 

So, enter the Sizebay virtual fitting room! Essentially you just edit in some details like your gender, height, weight and age before using some sliders to adjust the mannequin to look like your body shape. It's like when you create a Sim in the Sims games, if you're old enough to remember that. 

Anyway, once you've input all the measurements it asks for, the software gives you a suggested size for the specific bit of kit you're looking at. And voila, now you know what size to buy. Maybe Asos - the retail giant that angered serial returners recently by having the gall to suggest they cover some of the cost - should be taking notes? 

Check it out for yourself on the Ciovita website

Buy Luke Rowe's bike for £5,406

Guess the 34-year-old Ineos Grenadiers rider won't be needing it any more after announcing his plans to retire earlier this year, and this is actually a bit of a steal for a top-of-the-range bike assuming it's in fairly good condition. 

The 2022 Pinarello Dogma has a size large frame, full Shimano Dura-Ace groupset and is up for sale via Bikeroom, a specialist in selling off used pro bikes. Check out the listing here. 

ICYMI, check out out other tech news and features from this past week below: 

> Sick of duck-walking around in cycling shoes? The barefoot-style sock/shoes said to be ideal for bikepacking adventures
> You’ve got £500 to spend on a bike: what would you buy?
> Can we make indoor cycling more bearable for less than £75?