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TECH NEWS

Five cool things coming soon from absoluteBlack, Shimano, Topeak, Hornit and Muc-Off

Well look at that, it's another selection of cool stuff we're testing at the moment. Full reviews coming soon of course, here are some previews

It's miserable out there, but you don't have to be miserable on the bike if you dress for the occasion! While anyone who has cycled home through a blizzard or thunderstorm might not totally agree with the old saying that 'there's no such thing as bad weather' if you're wearing appropriate kit, it doesn't half help... so we'll be trying out lots of warm and waterproof kit in the next few months as always. With that said, here's the best of our test pile this week. 

absoluteBlack Hollowcage Carbon Ceramic Oversized Derailleur Pulley Cage 

£519.00

2021 Absolute Black Hollowcage Carbon Ceramic Oversized Derailleur Pulley Cage - 6.jpg

It's shiny, it's over 500 quid... and whatever you think of the absoluteBlack Hollowcage OSPW, it can't be denied that the Polish brand has managed to generate itself a huge amount of internet column inches, leaving YouTubers incensed and the rest of us wondering if even quite a significant aero and efficiency gain for your drivetrain is ever going to be worth the same as a perfectly serviceable entry-level road bike.

At launch absoluteBlack promised "a new era" for silent derailleur operation, saying that the unique mono-plate design is "the quietest, best shifting, aerodynamic cage design created to date." The 60% sound reduction and flexible build that means the Hollowcage tips the scales at just 71g differentiates it from other oversized pulley systems. absoluteBlack is also claiming aero savings as well as decreased friction. Do the claims stack up? And even if the Hollowcage surpasses expectations, should you really spend £519 on it? Jamie Williams is doing his homework and will be reporting back soon... 
absoluteblack.cc

Shimano GRX Di2 groupset

£1,743.88

2021 Shimano GRX Di2 groupset.jpg

Yes we uploaded our first ride report of Shimano GRX Di2 two years ago now... but some stuff happened since then which made getting more of it rather difficult, so here we are. Proclaimed as the “world’s first dedicated gravel component groupset" (Campagnolo has since launched its bigger cassetted Ekar of course) Shimano promises GRX isn't simply a reworking of road components, and was made specifically for cyclists who want to explore. In its Di2 guise you can have 1x or 2x drivetrains, and Shimano has made numerous modifications for riding rougher terrain, such as a higher braking pivot which makes braking on the hoods easier. The lever is also reshaped to be wider, and the hoods are ribbed for more grip in poor weather.

If you can ever find it in stock... is it worth making your drivetrain gravel-specific with Shimano's GRX Di2? Stu Kerton's verdict is coming soon. 
shimano.com

Topeak Torq Stick

£104.99

2021 Topeak Torq Stick 4-20Nm - detail 2.jpg

This tiny tool with a less tiny price might be the ultimate compact torque wrench. With a value range of 4-20 Nm, it has a standard hex drive reversible ratcheting head with adjustable preset torque values, that "allows you to tighten frame or component bolts safely and with confidence" according to Topeak. The five-bit storage pen even has a window so you can easily see and select which bit you need, and there are nine attachments in total. Check back for the full review soon to find out if tester Jamie Williams will be sticking with the Topeak Torque Stick when the test report is written.
extrauk.co.uk

Hornit Tuvalu Turquoise AIRO

£139.00

Hornit AIRO balance bike

This bold balance bike reflects "the irresistibly inviting and pristine waters of the South Pacific", much like the ocean surrounding the Polynesian island nation it's named after, we presume. On this ride your little one will be diving into a haven of two-wheeled fun, says Hornit, and at just 2.95kg they should be gliding around and honing those bike riding skills with ease. Crafted from magnesium alloy, it's built to last and is recommended for ages 18 months up to 5 years. 

Should your nipper be asking Santa for an Airo Tuvalu this Christmas? Oli Pendrey will be reporting back on behalf of his budding Bradley Wiggins soon. 
hornit.com

Muc-Off Bottle For Life Bundle

£29.99

2021 Muc-Off Bottle For Life Bundle.jpg

Muc-Off has been going big on cutting waste recently, introducing its plastic-free Punk Powder that is converted into a bike cleaner by just adding water. This bundle on test combines Punk Powder with a tough aluminium spray bottle that can be reused again and again, with a non-toxic, food-grade silicone base. Muc-Off promises "increased stability when placed on even ground", and it's also compatible with the Muc-Off Pressure Washer. Hollis Jones is currently scrubbing his bike with the formula and will be reporting back very soon... 
muc-off.com

For all the latest road.cc test reports, head over to our reviews section. If you want some more advice before splashing the cash, check out our buyer's guides.

Arriving at road.cc in 2017 via 220 Triathlon Magazine, Jack dipped his toe in most jobs on the site and over at eBikeTips before being named the new editor of road.cc in 2020, much to his surprise. His cycling life began during his students days, when he cobbled together a few hundred quid off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story) and bought his first road bike - a Trek 1.1 that was quickly relegated to winter steed, before it was sadly pinched a few years later. Creatively replacing it with a Trek 1.2, Jack mostly rides this bike around local cycle paths nowadays, but when he wants to get the racer out and be competitive his preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking - the latter being another long story.  

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22 comments

Avatar
rdaddict | 2 years ago
0 likes

Absolute Black? sounds like absolute cr*p!

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brooksby | 2 years ago
1 like

£500 for a derailleur pulley cage????  

Oh.

My.

God.

Avatar
JL77 replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
2 likes

But, but... we NEED this. Because it makes us win the TdF. (We think. And it surely fully compensates for the loose back number waving in the wind.)

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froze replied to JL77 | 2 years ago
0 likes

JL77 wrote:

But, but... we NEED this. Because it makes us win the TdF. (We think. And it surely fully compensates for the loose back number waving in the wind.)

I guarantee you that no TDF team is using that stupidly expensive ($716 in American dollars!) Absolute Black Hollowcage OSPW pulley cage, this is for those extremely stupid rich people who think they need the most expensive thing they can find to put on their bikes because they think they'll be as fast as Armstrong and they can brag to other stupid rich people they ride bikes with, it's sort of a contest, not a contest who can go the fastest, but a contest who can spend the most amount of money on their bikes.

The other crazy thing is that the Absolute Black company won't even tell you how much watts that crap will save you, all they will say is that it saves more watts then any other pulley, well that could be a 10th of a watt, now if they could prove it saved 100 watts well then we have something to consider, but people are buying this load of medicine man lingo crap thinking they're going to save a lot of watts, but they won't.

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JL77 replied to froze | 2 years ago
0 likes

froze wrote:

I guarantee you that no TDF team is using that stupidly expensive ($716 in American dollars!) Absolute Black Hollowcage OSPW pulley cage, this is for those extremely stupid rich people who think they need the most expensive thing they can find to put on their bikes because they think they'll be as fast as Armstrong and they can brag to other stupid rich people they ride bikes with, it's sort of a contest, not a contest who can go the fastest, but a contest who can spend the most amount of money on their bikes.

Eh, well, that was exactly what I meant with my humoristic/sarcastic comment.

Avatar
bobrayner replied to froze | 2 years ago
2 likes

froze wrote:

I guarantee you that no TDF team is using that stupidly expensive ($716 in American dollars!) Absolute Black Hollowcage OSPW pulley cage, this is for those extremely stupid rich people who think they need the most expensive thing they can find to put on their bikes because they think they'll be as fast as Armstrong and they can brag to other stupid rich people they ride bikes with, it's sort of a contest, not a contest who can go the fastest, but a contest who can spend the most amount of money on their bikes.

It's at one end of a spectrum, but we're all on that spectrum. Only a tiny % of Genuine Racers really need to replace an old 531 frame with aluminium or carbon fibre; the rest of us would be able to ride just fine on an old Raleigh. (You'd probably want more modern brakes though). Practically everybody commenting below the line at road.cc has paid a premium for a groupset that's a few grams lighter than Claris/Sora, or slightly more aero handlebars, or a jersey that looks more pro than Primark, and that's OK - even though none of us are going to ride the TdF.

Where exactly would you draw the line between Essential Cycling Equipment and Needlessly Expensive Upgrades? Is it, perhaps, just above the level of what you personally spend?  1

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
2 likes

brooksby wrote:

£500 for a derailleur pulley cage????  

Oh.

My.

God.

putting that into context a campag record EPS derailleur costs £390 and includes a pulley cage at no extra charge.

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Blackthorne replied to wycombewheeler | 2 years ago
0 likes

This is a hilarious level of marginal gain where a a gust of wind, a crack in the road, a 1/4 full water bottle, reaching down to tighten the shoes, 2w less exertion from a micro-rest would have a more significant effect on speed.

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hawkinspeter replied to Blackthorne | 2 years ago
1 like

Blackthorne wrote:

This is a hilarious level of marginal gain where a a gust of wind, a crack in the road, a 1/4 full water bottle, reaching down to tighten the shoes, 2w less exertion from a micro-rest would have a more significant effect on speed.

Marginal gains, innit? They all add up

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TheBillder | 2 years ago
0 likes

"increased stability when placed on even ground" gosh I'm glad they managed that major challenge. Do their other products come in bottles that lack flat bases?

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bobbinogs replied to TheBillder | 2 years ago
3 likes

To be fair, the increased stability comes from the additional silicone 'stand', although this does solve a problem that I don't have.  In addition, it seems a strange solution given that the main premise for the product is improved eco credentials and yet, copied from the tinternet:

Silicone isn't the most environmentally friendly material on the market. ... To produce silicone uses hydrocarbons from petroleum. It's less than angelic start makes silicone difficult to recycle as most facilities don't accept it. 

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Andrew Burrows replied to bobbinogs | 2 years ago
3 likes

I suspect the silcone base is there because the "bottle for life" is made from aluminium so will scratch and dent easily when it falls over. It would be nice if there was the option to buy it without though, as lots people would be happy enough with a dented bottle and one less random bit of plastic/silcone flaoting around in the shed.

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wycombewheeler replied to bobbinogs | 2 years ago
2 likes

bobbinogs wrote:

Silicone isn't the most environmentally friendly material on the market. ... To produce silicone uses hydrocarbons from petroleum. It's less than angelic start makes silicone difficult to recycle as most facilities don't accept it. 

isn't this keeping them locked up in solid form, rather than burning hem in engines and releasing them to the environment?

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chrisonabike replied to wycombewheeler | 2 years ago
1 like

I've foolishly always thought the problem began with sucking all the arthropod-and-tree-fern sauce out in the first place rather than just leaving it where it was. On the other hand silicone does rather require silicon and that sounds an excellent way of locking up that sand so it doesn't get where it shouldn't. Hmm, if only there were some other traditional sand-based material we could make containers from that could currently be recycled?

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mdavidford replied to wycombewheeler | 2 years ago
0 likes

It is, but it's in addition to burning them, not rather than. People aren't going to reduce their fuel consumption because you make some silicone bases.

And the point in the quote is not that hydrocarbons = bad because global warming. It's that hydrocarbons = bad because they're hard to recycle, so at some point these are likely to end up in landfill and/or breaking down in to microparticles doing who knows what to the environment.

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ktache | 2 years ago
0 likes

That Hornit is fantastic.

 

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RoubaixCube | 2 years ago
2 likes

Before any of you put in an order for absoluteBlack's derailleur. I highly recommend going over to Hambini's youtube channel and seeing what he had to say about it first as well as the hilarious back and forth that he had with the company.

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capedcrusader replied to RoubaixCube | 2 years ago
0 likes

Just had a look at the AB rear deraileur on their website, the biggest claim, and the one I find most impressive is the noise reduction which is a claimed 12db and given sound pressure is measured on a log scale this is the difference between an unoccupied broadcast studio and the sounds of a country park, or, whispering in a library and the sounds of a business office, or perhaps the difference between tumbleweed being blown across the desert and an irate youtuber.

The crowd has jumped on ABs 4th claim which is a small reduction in watts saved. AB's second claim is that the shifting is as good as or better than Dura Ace, the third is that it is more aero, fifth that is light and sixth it is the first monplate design. 

Nothing controversial in my eyes. Will be intereted to see if the reviewer notices the silent running of the rear mech, apparenrtly its biggest USP.

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sparrowlegs replied to capedcrusader | 2 years ago
1 like

I think what's got most people raging against the AB derailleur are the claims other than the noise reduction haven't had any evidential backing. In fact, when it comes to reduction in watts they used the Ceramicspeed OSPW in the same video and the pulley wheels were turning under the force of the wind, the ABs were not.

Hambini and Peak Torque looked at this and basically pissed their sides. AB then went in on the comments and took it to a whole other level of childish and then got the video removed from the UK YouTube.

Apparently the AB head chap is known for being a bit of a child (ask ZeroFrictionCycling) and this has got the engineering community's back up.

I dare say if AB had come in with a reduced price and used the looks and the reduction in noise (GC Performance has actually measured a sizeable noise reduction) has a reason to swap, rather than laughable videos and a complete lack of evidence for the other claims, then it would have been met with less scepticism. 

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capedcrusader replied to sparrowlegs | 2 years ago
0 likes

In defence of the company they bloody well explain why the pulleys don't turn in the wind tunnel because they have been designed to turn more efficiently under load. 

I mean all it takes it to actually listen to their video to get this information. Whether or not it's true is another thing entriely. 

As for inventors being a little crackpot . . . 

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check12 | 2 years ago
0 likes

Can't wait to play buzz word bingo on the AB rear derailleur review! *squeee*

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Secret_squirrel | 2 years ago
1 like

Good lord!  If I had realised you were that behind with your grx review I would have lent you mine. 

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