It’s that time of year again when rainy days give life to new plants and brands bring life to new products. As competition becomes tighter in the cycling industry it’s no wonder brands need to reach for the next big thing. Here’s a few of the latest, all coincidentally debuting on April 1…
New wheel size standard? Sign us up!
Nothing excites us more here at BikeRumor than when a new standard is released. Each new industry standard is just proof of companies closing in on the perfect bike. The Planners & Suppliers committee has announced the new wheel size that will take the world by storm. We’ve had 26″ to 29″ followed by 27.5″ and the only logical choice is to go 28.125″ since it’ll offer the best of both worlds. You’ll have the rollover of a 29″ wheel along with the super silky smooth handling and control of a 27.5″. Look for it during Sea Otter Classic, and check the technical video below here.
Think you have the best gear setup? Think again.
After becoming inundated with emails from customers asking what drivetrain setups to go with – between a Rohloff Speedhub or a Pinion Gearbox, Tout Terrain has come up with the perfect answer. Have them all! They use a custom-made double index Cinq shifter set, Pinion’s C1.12 gearbox and Rohloff’s 500/14 Speed hub all brought together by a Gates Carbon belt drivetrain system. Its carbon belt runs along a 50 tooth front cog and 24 tooth rear. Altogether the rig has a gear range of 3000% which should prevent anyone from complaining about a lack of gear choices. Tout Terrain says that holding a cadence of 90rpm will result in speeds ranging from 4.9km/h to 124.1km/h.
SpaceX, Gotcha Group to bring bikes to Mars
The sharing economy has come a long way since the humble umbrella stand. Now that everything is passed around, where can it go? In their typical showmanship ways, Gotcha Group – the provider of 1,200 rental bikes nationwide – and SpaceX – a private space agency with a goal to put humans on Mars – have thought outside of the box – in this case, the planet. Their Martian Oversight of Intelligent and Sustainable Transportation (MOIST) is centered around providing future generations with affordable and sustainable transportation on the red planet. They’re in the starting phases of designing and testing these future martian bikes and plan on having a video highlighting their progress in the coming decade.
SkunkLock gets Organic to scare off thieves
SkunkLocks made waves in the industry back in 2016 with their lock that emits vomit inducing gas when tampered with. They’re mixing it up in 2018 by introducing an organic lineup to their product offerings. Each SkunkLock O-Lock includes a real skunk to chain with the bike. They claim this new system won’t hurt the bike or the skunk. And best of all, any bike thief will be branded for over a week with a smelly smell that smells… smelly. The $70 skunk may have additional costs including petcare, food and carrying solutions – no skunk mounts are included – but you can feel better about your reduced carbon footprint.
Self-medicate with Mike’s Bikes
Mike’s Bikes recently got approval from the FDA to start promoting Arydnow. Check out their promotional video above for all of the details, and consider consulting a doctor or your local sound healer before taking Arydnow.
¡Bikepacking weight weenies rejoice!
Renowned carbon repair service provider Ruckus Composites is putting the weight weenie name where their mouth is. They came up with the Dog-On-It skewer while pondering how titanium can be useful. It’s a titanium hotdog stick that features a proprietary #updogtechnology that eliminates weenie slippage and sagging. A carbon fiber grip adds heat protection to the user and naturally keeps things light and pro. Tipping the scale at just 30g the Dog-On-It could be the cooking utensil every bike packer needs. The $50 American made skewer is available in raw ti and custom anodized colors. Buy it now on their web store.
See any more good bike tech being introduced today? Leave a link in the comments!
