Is the TiltBike the future of indoor cycling? Plus Tubolito’s unpuncturable gravel tubes; clothing from Santini, Velobici & La Passione; Brooks England’s new saddle; and gravel-specific handlebar grips!

Things are hotting up in the bike tech world with loads of new products launched over the past week, including clothing from Santini, Velobici and La Passione, a new saddle from Brooks England, and gravel-specific handlebar covers. Yep, you didn’t know you needed them, did you? We start, though, with news on Mouverti’s TiltBike…

Mouverti’s TiltBike raises a further million since pre-production prototype reveal

London-based indoor bike startup Muoverti has now amassed £2.4 million of investment for the development of its TiltBike indoor bike that allows riders to balance and steer, accelerate and brake. 

Following the public unveiling of its pre-production prototype at London’s Rouleur Live event in November 2021, the company says it saw a significant increase in interest with £1m raised in just three months after the event. “This puts us in a strong position to achieve upcoming product milestones, move closer towards production and recruit the talent that will bring TiltBikes to life,” says Muoverti. 

As part of scaling up operations, Muoverti recently moved to new facilities in Wandsworth which it says will allow for further R&D and rider testing.

“TiltBikes are for athletes of all levels looking for engaging simulations and effective exercise from essential training to E-Sports to interactive gaming,” sums up Muoverti.

This is an indoor smart bike that can be used for both serious workouts on Zwift, and Xbox games such as Descenders.

Aside from the gaming aspect, the balancing and steering are said to be set up to provide a “real feel” effect, plus engaging all the muscles you can expect to use when riding outside.

Find out more

Tubolito launches X-CX Gravel inner tubes with one-year warranty against flats

Tubolito has added the X-CX/Gravel to its range of X-Tubo inner tubes made of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) for “extreme puncture resistant against thorns, nails and broken glass”, the brand claims. Originally designed to withstand everything the city and touring rider can throw at it, the X-Tubo-CX/Gravel is a re-engineered version to meet the needs of the gravel rider on 30 to 50mm tyres.

> Review: Tubolito X-Tubo City/Tour Tube

Tubolito is pretty confident on how puncture-proof these are… Just like the X-City/Touring model, the new CX/Gravel model has the same one-year replacement policy. “Riders are required to register their X-CX/Gravel product on Tubolito.com and should they puncture a tube while riding, they can return it to Tubolito for a replacement,” says the brand.

Available now at tubolito.com

You can now fully customise Parcours wheels 

British wheel brand Parcours is adding to the bespoke customisations it has available with its 2022 offerings including customisable rim graphics (from £75), custom hub colouring (from £100) and laser-engraving on black hubs (from £50) for a truly personalised offering.

> Review: Parcours Ronde Wheelset

Parcours also offer different spoke counts and lacing patterns to suit the powerful or heavier riders, at no additional cost. 

> Review: Parcours Strade Wheelset 

Available now at www.parcours.cc

Raleigh x FatFace casualwear 

Raleigh has collaborated with lifestyle fashion brand FatFace for a fun apparel collection that sees hoodies, tees, sweats and a selection of accessories emblazoned with classic Raleigh bike prints and playful slogans.

Prices start at £4.50 for the Raleigh Notebook and go up to £55 for the Raleigh Hoody. 

Scroll through this gallery above to see the styles and designs available. 

Available now at UK FatFace stores and at www.fatface.com 

Brooks England’s C17 new eco-special is made from recycled nylon

Brooks England has rolled out its most sustainable Cambium to date, the C17 Special Recycled (£120).

“The surface of the C17 Recycled Nylon is constructed from the industrial remainders converted into a resilient nylon yarn and woven into a durable fabric, eliminating the need for new resources and reducing excess waste,” Brooks explains. “The fabric is then vulcanised to a sustainably-harvested, natural rubber top for wet weather protection and to deliver the Brooks signature ‘hammock’ comfort and performance.”

The saddle’s nosepiece and backplate are also created from Liquid Wood, which is a biopolymer made from by-products of industrial paper production that is 100% biodegradable. 

Available now at www.brooksengland.com 

Santini’s new Flèche Wallonne collection

Following on from the launch of its Paris-Roubaix inspired range, Santini has dropped a new collection dedicated to the Ardennes Classic, La Flèche Wallonne.

Available in both men’s and women’s versions, the latest range takes its inspiration from the red, black and yellow colours of the Belgian flag and also celebrates the gruelling final climb in the Belgian event, the Mur de Huy.

“The Mur de Huy name is spray-painted graffiti-style on the asphalt on the last treacherous climb and that’s what we have put on our jersey which also has an asphalt effect,” Santini explains. “Another unusual detail of this kit is a logo with seven chapels, a reference to the climb’s other nickname, Chemin des Chapelles.”

The seven chapels along the climb are depicted in a round logo on the back of the jersey, the base layer and several of the accessories. 

Available now at www.santinicycling.com 

Carbon Wasp launches new adjustable aero bars

Carbon Wasp has launched a new aero bar system to give riders the aerodynamic benefits and comfort of a customised aero bar but with the adjustability to refine their riding position. 

“Whilst there are potentially significant gains to be made from a custom aero bar set up, the biggest disadvantage is the lack of adjustability available with existing products on the market – either to allow a rider to tweak their position over time, or if they change bikes from season to season,” says Carbon Wasp.

The Carbon Wasp standard aero bars are available in two versions: a non-UCI version offering greater comfort and aero advantages outside the restrictive UCI rules or a UCI compliant version that’s optimised to give the most aerodynamic position within the UCI rules.

The length is adjustable from 280mm to 375mm, while the angle from horizontal can be set from zero to 30 degrees, and the angle from the centreline is adjustable from parallel to the tips touching. 

Developed and manufactured in Yorkshire, Carbon Wasp promises the lead time is short (approximately two weeks currently) enabling riders to finetune their position before their season starts. The new aero bars are priced at £795 for the full system.

Available now at www.carbonwasp.com 

Shimano is transitioning to more eco-friendly packaging

“Product packaging is a huge opportunity to reduce waste and deliver our products more sustainably,” acknowledges Shimano. It has decided to move towards more eco-friendly packaging, and says it has focused on:

• Eliminating as much single-use plastics as possible to reduce CO2 and marine pollution
• Making better use of resources with smaller package designs
• Reducing the amount of ink on packaging to make recycling easier
• Transitioning to FSC certified, recycled and mix paper

It has been making these changes to its footwear, service and upgrade parts, apparel, and most eyewear packaging. 

Find out more

Velobici’s summer Delta collection is now available

The Leicester based cycle apparel brand has released its summer road collection in soft shades that are said to be inspired by early morning sea mist. 

The Delta jersey (£190) is built from Velobici’s lightest-ever fabric, woven from a performance yarn with built-in cooling properties. The jacquard weave is said to help lift the fabric fractionally from the body, promoting airflow to keep you dry and comfortable.

Then there’s the Delta bib shorts (£190) which are said to provide lots of muscle compression to save energy and boost efficiency, and are also fitted with a bioceramic pad that’s claimed to ensure comfort for rides up to seven hours long. 

Available now at www.velobici.cc 

Ere Research introduces Tenaci gravel-specific handlebar covers

The market has been swamped by gravel-specific versions of loads of different bike components over the past few years, but gravel-specific handlebar covers combining bar tape with a mountain bike-style grip section is a new one for us. Ere Research says that its new Tenaci handlebar covers prevent your hands from slipping in rain and mud when gravel riding.

“The concept is as follows: for cruising and higher cadence climbing the top part of the handlebar is often used, so you want a bar tape that's thinner, grippy and has a softer touch,” says Ere. “But when you’re down in the drops for hard climbing and pushing through at a higher power output when the going gets tough, you want a rougher and even more grippy handlebar grip.

“This has led to our new Tenaci Bar Cover concept. This is a classic bar tape, combined with a unique bar cover that you slide over the end of your handlebars, up to the shifters. The cover not only offers the ultimate grip on your bike but also protects your handlebars against side impacts.”

Ere has also added what it calls “knuckleheads” which are ridges designed to help keep your hands in place.

The Tenaci grip is 225mm long and comes with cutting lines that you can use if you need to shorten it. The system also includes a classic bar tape that’s based on the brand’s existing Explorator tape.

The Ere Research Tenaci handlebar cover is priced £35.

Get more info here

Santini’s rainbow collection now being sold in more Decathlon stores across Europe

Last year, the UCI, Santini and Decathlon joined forces to launch a collection of UCI World Championships cycling wear and accessories for amateur cyclists. Previously only available in Italy, Belgium, Hungary and Switzerland stores, the iconic rainbow stripes are now being distributed in France, Spain and Germany too.

The collection includes a replica of the UCI World Champion jersey, an all-black kit, and a range of black and white accessories. All sport the iconic rainbow stripes.

Merida unveils new disc brake-equipped Time Warp TT bike

Merida has launched a new version of its Time Warp TT (time trial) bike with added disc-brake integration and greater tyre clearance. Merida says that it has also improved comfort while maintaining the Time Warp’s weight and aerodynamic performance.

The Time Warp TT features flat-mount disc brakes and a 140/160mm front rotor paired with a 140mm rear. It uses through-axles and allows the fitting of tyres up to 28mm wide.

Merida has introduced the latest version of its S-Flex seatpost that’s designed to reduce road buzz and improve comfort.

The Time Warp will be available as a frame kit only. This includes frame, fork, seatpost, headset and the Vision Metron TT aero base-bar. We've asked, of course, but the UK price has yet to be confirmed.

Get more info here 

La Passione expands Adventure gravel clothing collection

Italy’s La Passione introduced its Adventure gravel/off-road clothing lineup last summer and has just added new options to the range.

La Passione’s Adventure Insulated Gilet (£96) is said to “combine a compact outer layer – which provides protection from rain and wind – with a plush inner fabric with 3D structure which guarantees perfect protection and optimal air circulation”.

The Insulated Jacket (£134) is a similar proposition but with sleeves.

Both feature two diagonally opening rear pockets to increase carrying capacity. 

La Passione’s Adventure Evo Women's Bib Shorts (£139) are new too.

They come with cargo pockets and a double magnetic clip closure for added practicality and a pad that features high-density foams designed for endurance rides.

Get more info on La Passione’s Adventure range here

The hottest review on road.cc next week

Tuesday 29th March Find out how useful the FulGaz training app is for improving your fitness