It’s almost time for the Tour de France and this year’s race promises to be much more fun and unpredictable than the British election campaign.
Jonas Vingegaard won the yellow jersey with force majeure last year. But after the Dane’s crash and Tadej Pogačar’s dictatorial Giro performance, will the general classification be a ‘hung parliament’ for the final time trial in Nice?
After reading his Lapsang Souchong tea leaves, Simon von Bromley made his technical predictions for the Tour.
Simon, BikeRadar sports director George Scott and videographer Kai Eves are already in Florence for the Italian Grand Départ.
Armed with Vernier calipers, scales and shovel-sensitive snouts, the trio will report on the most popular Tour de France bikes on our website, podcast and YouTube channels.
Earlier this week, Ashley Quinlan reviewed the new Wilier Verticale SLR, the Italian brand’s climbing bike that Groupama-FDJ and Astana Qazaqstan will likely ride in the mountain stages.
Trek confirmed that the mystery bike it saw at the Critérium du Dauphiné is a downsized Madone and discontinued the Émonda. Will you miss this weightless heartthrob?
It was also eMTB week on BikeRadar. We explained electric bike motors, reviewed the Merida eONE-Sixty 875, dissected the anatomy of eMTBs, and rounded up the best lightweight electric mountain bikes.
That’s not all. Chris Barnard shared his eMTB adventure in the French Alps, and Nick Clark explained why electric mountain bikes are taking over the trails.
In other news, Wahoo released the rechargeable Trackr heart rate monitor, the Edge 1050 became Garmin’s latest top-of-the-line bike computer, and Raleigh announced that the Chopper is back by popular demand.
DT Swiss Ratchet DEG 240 hubs
The DT Swiss Ratchet DEG 240 freehub has the lowest engagement angle of all freehubs the brand has made. By using steel ratchets with 90 teeth, the angle of attack drops to just four degrees.
DT Swiss designed the Ratchet DEG 240 for its mountain bike wheels. According to them, the low engagement angle distributes loads more evenly than pawl hubs and increases reliability.
The Classic Edition of the hub is available in 12x148mm and 12x157mm Boost, with Shimano MicroSpline or SRAM XD freehub and in six-bolt disc only. You can choose between 28-hole or 32-hole spokes.
A rear hub costs £354.99 / $499.90 / €376.90 / AU$599.
Only 240 units of the 240 Classic DEG Red hub were made and we have one here in a glossy red colour.
DT Swiss only offers this limited edition with 15×110 front and 12x148mm rear axles in 32h and only SRAM XD freehub. The rear hub costs the same as the Classic Edition and the front axle costs £159.99 / $229.90 / €169.90 / AU$289.
Flowbio S1 sensor
Flowbio claims the S1 sensor is “the most accurate hydration sensor in the world,” and its customers include WorldTour cycling teams and elite triathletes such as the Brownlee brothers.
Although the link between electrolyte loss and cramps is controversial, the brand promises “no cramps, no guesswork.”
The S1 sensor clicks into the chest or bracelet of your heart rate monitor. Unlike some continuous glucose meters, the S1 sensor does not have a needle.
According to Flowbio, the S1 sensor collects sweat in a small channel by applying pressure to your sweat glands.
Based on an eight-second sample of this sweat, the S1 uses an algorithm to estimate how much fluid and sodium you lose in total. According to Flowbio, this is 90 percent as accurate as a laboratory test.
According to the brand, the accompanying app provides recommendations on what to drink before, during and after training and competitions, so you stay hydrated on the bike.
Unfortunately for Android users, the app is only available on iOS, Apple’s software.
The S1 has ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity and can send real-time data to your bike computer. You can also sync the device with your Zwift and Training Peaks accounts.
According to Flowbio, the battery lasts 100 hours and is rechargeable via USB-C.
Oakley Aro 5 Race Ice MIPS Helmet
According to the brand, the Oakley Aro 5 Race Ice MIPS is a lightweight, well-ventilated, yet aerodynamic helmet.
Oakley claims the redesigned vents improve airflow, while the redesigned shell saves weight over its predecessor, the Aro 5.
The new shell shape ensures that the bicycle helmet sits lower and better fits the contours of your head, according to Oakley.
Of course, you can store your cycling glasses in the ventilation openings on the front of the helmet with MIPS equipment.
The Aro 5 Race Ice MIPS also includes Twiceme Help the Helpers technology. If you are unresponsive after a bicycle accident, bystanders can double-tap the Twiceme logo on their smartphone to access information, such as contact information for surviving relatives, that you have uploaded.
Wolf Tooth EnCase Pump
According to Wolf Tooth, the EnCase pump has a high displacement, internal storage and “best-in-class protection against water and dirt.”
According to the brand, less force is required per stroke to inflate large mountain bike tires and gravel bike tires than the competition.
The EnCase pump has no hose, threads or locking lever. Because of this, Wolf Tooth claims you can get pumping faster if you get a tubeless puncture and you won’t damage the core of your Presta valve.
Tools, such as a tubeless tire repair kit and multi-tool, can also be stored in an internal compartment.
The mini pump is available in a 40cc size costing £59 / $72 / €69 / AU$115 and a larger 85cc size costing £63 / $77 / AU$120. You can carry both on your bike, attached to the included bottle cage.