Crikey! Cannondale mixes the streams. Plus loads more new stuff from 100%, Brooks, Ravemen, Miss Grape & La Passione

It’s getting towards peak launch season in the cycling world – and we can tell you to expect some big, big things this side of the Tour de France starting on Friday – with loads of new stuff appearing from some big brands over the past week. We start with a leftfield bike launch from Cannondale...

Whoa, wait… What IS this new bike from Cannondale?

You’ve got to be careful in life when mixing stuff from different genres. The world might be a better place since someone dreamt up salted caramel but no one is crying out for liver meringue pie, are they? It can go either way.

What has that got to do with bikes? Well, Cannondale has just announced the all-new Moterra Neo EQ which is a city e-bike that’s derived from its existing Moterra Neo e-mountain bike collection. Interesting.

“Mountain-born and city-bred, it does it all,” says Cannondale. “There is no longer any reason to choose between practical and fun or work and adventure… The Moterra Neo EQ offers everything needed for urban mobility – it is a smooth city commuter and a fun, capable trail bike. It is Cannondale’s rugged urban e-SUV.”

The Moterra Neo EQ is built up with a RockShox 35 Silver R fork with 150mm of travel – for comparison, the RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR gravel-specific fork is available in 30mm and 40mm versions – and 130mm of rear travel. It’s fitted with a Shimano XT/Deore 12-speed drivetrain, a dropper seat post, and whopping great 2.3in wide tyres, all straight out of the mountain bike world.

On the other hand, it also has some decidedly urban features: an integrated rear rack, full-coverage fenders – which we in the civilised world call mudguards – and a kickstand. You also get lights that are powered by the 750Wh battery that also drives the bike’s Bosch SmartSystem.

The price is £5,500.

What do you think of this mashup? Let us know in the comments below.

Get more info here

100% introduces 2022 Peter Sagan Limited Edition Collection 

Just ahead of the Tour de France, 100% has revealed its latest eyewear collection with serial green jersey wearer Peter Sagan, who rides for Team TotalEnergies. The finish is said to be a tie-dye design using the colours from the TotalEnergies logo. Seeing as the TotalEnergies logo is a rainbow-fade affair, that’s a pretty open remit.

100% S3, S2, and Speedcraft glasses are included in the 2022 Sagan limited edition collection. These are all designed as performance eyewear as opposed to casual styles, each coming with a mirror lens and a clear lens.

Read our review of the 100% Speedcraft SL glasses

All of the glasses have a hard case, microfibre cleaning bag, and an alternative fit nose pad, and each is priced at £200.

Get more info here  

Brooks unveils Cambium C17 Special LAB saddle

Speaking of limited edition stuff, Brooks has released its latest saddle: the Cambium C17 Special LAB. 

Brooks says, “The C17 Special Lab features a limited topographic-line design alongside the comfortable riding characteristics for which Cambium is well known.”

We agree that the Cambium C17 is comfortable. When we reviewed it aaaaaaages ago, we called it a “wonderfully comfortable fusion of classic ideas and modern materials”. 

Read our review of the Brooks Cambium C17 saddle here 

It has the same basic structure as a classic Brooks saddle, but instead of a sheet of leather across the ends of the rails, there’s a combination of vulcanised natural rubber, cotton canvas and structural textile for the top.

The C17 Special Lab is priced at £120, available only through the Brooks website, compared with £105 for a standard-finish C17. 

Get more info here 

New Ravemen light incorporates computer mount

If you don’t want your handlebar cluttered and prefer to keep things tidy, Ravemen is launching an FR160 daytime visible light that doubles as a mount for your bike computer.

The FR160 uses high-efficiency COB LEDs (max 160 lumens) and a wide-angle lens, and it has an eye-catching flashing mode.

The light is compatible with Garmin and Wahoo computer mounts and works with Garmin, Wahoo, and Bryton computers. It is rated IPX6 which means it’s protected from powerful water jets and, more to the point, heavy rain.

The Ravemen FR160 is due in the UK in about a month.

Get more info here

Check out Miss Grape’s Mini Cluster saddle bag

Italy’s Miss Grape has brought out a diddy saddle bag called the Mini Cluster that’s made from a lightweight and water-resistant fabric.

The Mini Cluster has a capacity of 50cl and a claimed weight of just 49g. Miss Grape says it’ll hold a multitool, inner tube and everything needed for a quick repair, or an ultralight windbreaker.
 
It fixes to your saddle using Fidlock’s Winch system so it’s quick to put on and take off.

Miss Grape says the narrow profile means the Mini Cluster does not interfere with your pedalling or, for that matter, with your bike’s aero profile.

Handmade in Italy and designed for road, gravel and mountain bikes, the Mini Cluster tool bag is priced at €55 (around £47).

Get more info here 

Bollé releases C-Shifter eyewear

Bollé has introduced new C-Shifter glasses with a half-rim frame made of TR90 nylon that’s designed to be light, flexible and comfortable. They follow the trend of providing a big ol’ shield for your eyes by using a wrap-around cylindrical lens that’s vented to avoid fogging.

The nose piece and temple tips are adjustable and use a thermoplastic rubber that’s engineered to get grippier in contact with water and sweat. 

The C-Shifter is available with Bollé’s Volt+ lens. The French brand says Volt+ “offers 30% superior colour enhancement to help you see colours you’ve never perceived before while maintaining white balance.” 

As well as enhancing colours, Bollé’ says that the Volt+ “offers high contrast vision, improved depth perception and high-performance polarisation.”

Two frame colours are available with Bollé’s Classic lens for £115, while there are four frame colours with the polarised Volt+ lens, each priced at £145.

A pair of Bollé C-Shifter glasses are on the way to road.cc for review.

Get more info here

La Passione reveals Striver Ultralight clothing for REALLY hot weather

La Passione has launched an evolution of its Striver collection that’s designed to see you right even if the mercury reaches over 30°C – which, admittedly, doesn’t happen too often in the UK.

As the name suggests, Striver Ultralight clothing is made from some of the lightest fabrics out there and is designed for effective sweat dispersion.

“The Ultralight Striver jersey (£90) is made entirely of a special mesh fabric that is highly breathable and has excellent elastic qualities, taking the concept of lightness to the extreme,” says La Passione. 

The diamond-shaped construction of the fabric is intended to shift sweat and expel it quickly.

You get three back pockets and a collarless neck.

The Ultralight Striver shorts (£148) are made from lightweight Lycra available on the market and feature a mesh insert in the lumbar area. 

The new pad is composed of hydrophobic foams of different densities. These are designed to attract sweat and transport it outwards.

Get more info here 

In case you missed it on road.cc earlier in the week...

• Avaris launch upgraded electric road bike
• Is Campagnolo planning a wireless groupset?
• CeramicSpeed OSPW Aero officially launches with a €739 price tag
• Geraint Thomas rides unreleased disc brake Pinarello Bolide TT bike to victory ahead of Tour de France
• Strava launches Tour Hub, a 'backstage pass' to the Tour de France and Tour de Femmes avec Zwift
• Is this the new Giant Propel?
• Crow launches full e-bike range, including a stealthy gravel lineup with removable drive systems