It’s almost time for the Tour de France and this year’s race promises to be a lot more fun and unpredictable than the UK general election campaign.
Jonas Vingegaard won the yellow jersey overwhelmingly last year. But after the Dane’s crash and Tadej Pogačar’s dictatorial performance at the Giro, will the overall classification be a hung parliament before the final time trial in Nice?
Simon von Bromley made his technical Tour predictions after reading his Lapsang Souchong tea leaves from one plot.
Simon, BikeRadar sports director George Scott and cameraman Kai Eves are already in Florence for the Italian Grand Départ.
Armed with Vernier calipers, scales and paddle-sensitive mouthpieces, the trio will be covering the hottest rounds of the Tour de France on our website, podcast and YouTube channels.
Earlier in the week, Ashley Quinlan reviewed the new Wilier Verticale SLR, the Italian brand’s mountain bike that Groupama-FDJ and Astana Qazaqstan are likely to ride in the mountain stages.
Trek has confirmed that its mystery bike spotted at the Critérium du Dauphiné is a slimmed-down Madone and discontinued Émonda. Will you miss this heartbeat?
It was also eMTB week on BikeRadar. We’ve explained electric bike motors, reviewed the Merida eONE-Sixty 875, broken down the anatomy of an eMTB, and rounded up the best lightweight electric mountain bikes.
That’s not all. Chris Barnard recounted an 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 high-end 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 the freehubs the brand has produced. The use of steel ratchets with 90 teeth reduces the engagement angle to just four degrees.
DT Swiss designed the Ratchet DEG 240 for their mountain bike wheels. The low engagement angle is said to distribute the load more evenly than ratchet hubs and increase reliability.
The classic hub edition comes in 12x148mm and 12x157mm Boost, with Shimano MicroSpline or SRAM XD freehub and six-bolt disc only. You can choose from 28 or 32 spoke holes.
The rear hub will set you back £354.99 / $499.90 / €376.90 / AU$599.
240 Classic DEG Red hubs Only 240 examples were produced and we have one here in glossy red.
DT Swiss only offers this limited edition with 15×110 front and 12x148mm rear axle for 32h and only SRAM XD freehub. The rear hub costs the same as the Classic Edition and the front is priced at £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 clients include WorldTour cycling teams and elite triathletes such as the Brownlee brothers.
Although the link between electrolyte loss and cramps is disputed, the brand promises “no cramps, no guesswork.”
The S1 sensor attaches to the heart rate monitor’s chest or arm strap. Unlike some continuous glucose meters, the S1 sensor does not have a needle.
Instead, Flowbio says the S1 sensor collects sweat in a small channel through pressure exerted by your sweat glands.
From an eight-second sample of that sweat, the S1 uses an algorithm to estimate how much fluid and sodium you’re losing overall. According to Flowbio, it’s 90 percent accurate as a lab test.
The brand says its companion app recommends what to drink before, during and after training and racing to help you stay hydrated on the bike.
Unfortunately for Android users, the app is only available for iOS, Apple’s software.
The S1 has ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity and can send real-time data to your cycling computer. You can also sync the device with your Zwift and Training Peaks accounts.
Flowbio claims 100 hours of battery life 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 light, well-ventilated and at the same time aerodynamic helmet.
Oakley claims redesigned vent ports improve airflow, while a redesigned shell saves weight compared to its predecessor, the Aro 5.
The new shell shape helps the bike helmet sit lower and better conform to the contours of your head, Oakley claims.
Of course, you can store cycling sunglasses in the front vents of MIPS-equipped helmets.
The Aro 5 Race Ice MIPS also features Twiceme Help the Helpers technology. If you’re unresponsive after a bike accident, passers-by can tap the Twiceme logo on their smartphone to access information such as next of kin contact details you’ve uploaded.
Pump for Wolf Teeth Case
Wolf Tooth says the EnCase pump has high displacement, internal storage and “best-in-class water and sand protection.”
Each stroke requires less force than its competitors when inflating high-volume mountain bike and gravel tires, the brand says.
The EnCase pump has no hose, thread or locking lever. That’s why Wolf Tooth claims you can start pumping faster when you get a tubeless puncture and don’t damage the Presta valve core.
The inner compartment can also store tools such as a tubeless tire repair kit and a multi-tool.
The Mini Pump comes in a 40cc size for £59 / $72 / €69 / AU$115 and a larger 85cc size for £63 / $77 / AU$120. You can carry both on your bike attached to the supplied bottle holder.