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Five cool things coming soon from Campagnolo, Condor, Rapha, Selle Italia and La Passione

Our first post-lockdown selection of goodies that we're testing at the moment, with full test reports coming soon...

After a three month hiatus, our weekly review preview round-up is back and better than ever. To be honest, when the lockdown was announced back in March we anticipated a shortfall in cool stuff to show you for the foreseeable... but then everyone bought all the bikes in existence and the whole world starting cycling again and the rest is history! Anyway I digress, here's the cream of our test pile crop at the moment...

Campagnolo Bora WTO 60 Disc wheels

£1,928.99

2020 Campagnolo Bora WTO 60 Disc wheels - rims.jpg

Italian maestros Campagnolo aren't all about the groupsets, as their Bora wheels are often considered some of the best high-end carbon options on the market. These 60mm deep hoops are for disc brake bikes, and are in fact Campag's first aero wheels with a 60mm depth. They claim to have spent plenty of time in the wind tunnel refining aerodynamics, and even say that the design can even create 'negative drag' at certain angles. Back to the more verifiable features, we have unidirectional carbon rims with a rounded-profile, plus aerodynamic aluminium hubs and a ceramic USB cup-and-cone bearing system. Campag say the 19mm internal rim width is fine for up to 28mm tyres, and their 2-Way Fit technology means the wheels can take clincher or tubeless tyres. Did they afford our tester Liam Cahill some extra speed? His review is due shortly. 
i-ride.co.uk

Rapha Technical trousers

£110.00

2020 Rapha Technical trousers.jpg

At first glance they just kind of look like, erm, trousers... so what makes them 'technical' according to Rapha? Apparently they're "hard-wearing trousers for riding around town, commuting and travelling", made with an extra breathable and stretchy fabric that is quick-drying for comfortable urban riding: "Designed for days when riding is only a part of the plan", summarise Rapha. 
The cut is a described as a bit looser than their other City trousers for extra freedom of movement, and they're high cut at the back to avoid revealing things you shouldn't be revealing at the back. For storage there are two zip-up pockets at the side and two pockets at the rear - one buttoned and one zipped - and there are also some bonus visibility details. Oli Pendrey will be writing this review when he's put in enough impromptu bike miles...
rapha.cc

Selle Italia SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow saddle

£439.99

2020 Selle Italia SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow - 2.jpg

At a penny under £440, the all carbon SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow from Selle Italia might just be one of the spendiest saddles we've ever come across. A weight of 119g makes it £3.70 a gram by our calculations, and aside from being gloriously expensive Selle Italia claim this is because it's "the most futuristic full carbon saddle of all time". Teaming up with an Italian company who make composite products for F1 cars, the saddle features “Suspension Link Movement” technology for a comfier ride with as little weight penalty as possible. Is it ever justifiable to spend close to half a ton on a saddle? Simon Smythe will be telling us what he thinks soon...
selleitalia.com

Condor Bivio Gravel Thru-Axle frameset

£1,399.99

2020 Condor Bivio - forks.jpg

Condor's revamped premium steel gravel/adventure frame is recommended as their ultimate 'do anything' bike, perfect for multi-terrain adventures and suitable for building up into a dream commuter. The Bivio frame is made from triple-butted, custom-formed Columbus Spirit tubing, which Condor say provides mile after mile of "no-hassle, smooth riding". With a geometry similar to Condor's endurance road models, they've tweaked the head angle and wheelbase compared to the previous version of the Bivio, which they claim will give a more stable handling experience on rocky, uneven terrain. The tyre clearance has also grown, with room for 42mm tyres on 700c wheels and 47mm when going down to 650b. It also has plenty of mounting points, so you can load it up with racks, guards and panniers for a big old bikepacking adventure. You can find out what our reviewer thought of it in the upcoming review, coming soon.  
condorcycles.com

La Passione Duo jersey

£80.00

2020 La Passione Duo Jersey.jpg

Suitable for mild to warm rides according to La Passione, this jersey has a constant reminder that your efforts haven't gone to waste on the left side of the chest, and otherwise features a subtle two-tone colour scheme on the Italian fabric. They say much attention to detail has been made to ensure the highest quality, including laser raw-cut collar and sleeves, a covered reversed full-length zip, a silicone waist gripper and plenty of reflective details. For extra breathability, La Passione have added a perforated fabric on the back and mesh on the side panels for beating the heat. A cut above the rest? Stu Kerton's test report is incoming early next month...
lapassione.cc

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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3 comments

Avatar
quiff | 3 years ago
4 likes

"Is it ever justifiable to spend close to half a ton on a saddle?"

Isn't 'a ton' commonly used to mean a hundred, rather than a thousand, which would make this saddle 4 ton? But no, I could never spend nearly a monkey on a saddle. 

Avatar
bobrayner | 3 years ago
2 likes

The Condor bike looks pretty, but if they decide to paint their new gravel bike in a militaresque matte green, with some orange details, people are going to compare it infavourably to the recent Look gravel bike.

Avatar
zero_trooper replied to bobrayner | 3 years ago
0 likes

Good shout! And here was me admiring the paint job, of the Condor…

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