Week in Tech: POC kits, charging systems, and more

Published October 28, 2016 10:00AM

Here’s the Week in Tech — all the gear news, tips, and announcements you need and none of the marketing gibberish you don’t.

POC expands partnership with Cannondale – Drapac

POC and Slipstream Sports announced an expanded partnership for the next three years that will extend the current helmet and eyewear partnership while also including POC jerseys, shorts, and socks. Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports and Cannondale – Drapac, said, “We’ve been partners with POC since the 2014 season and their innovation and support to the team has been critical in many of our achievements. I’m proud to call POC a partner, as they offer performance and quality, understand our needs perfectly and can support our future objectives.” The expanded partnership begins January 1, 2017 and the new team kit will be formally unveiled at the Rouleur Classic show in London on Nov. 4, with team riders Ryan Mullen and Davide Formolo in attendance.

Knog is back on Kickstarter with PWR charging system

Earlier this year, Knog raised more than $1 million through a Kickstarter campaign to fund development and production of its Oi bell. After this success, the Australian company is heading back to Kickstarter to launch an ecosystem of outdoor products that use a single power source. The PWR product range includes a Bluetooth speaker, camping lantern, a 300-lumen headlight, a 300-lumen bike light, and an 800-lumen bike light. Each of these uses the same power bank as a universal battery, so you can swap between charging your camping gear or bike equipment with a single battery. The campaign is live and once again it’s quickly gaining momentum, with more than $20,000 raised in 24 hours.

Abus joins Movistar for 2017 WorldTour season

Abus, the German security company known for its beefy bike locks and home security systems, announced it will be joining Movistar in 2017 as the team’s official security and safety partner. Abus will support the team with its collection of road, aero, and TT helmets that will be unveiled in Australia in January. The full Movistar helmet collection will be available soon at movistarteamshop.com.

Strava Clubs enhances social training

Strava has announced an update to its mobile app that is meant to further connect Strava users across the globe and give them a comprehensive home for group activities. Strava Clubs provides one place to meet athletes, share routes and events, organize group activities, track activities, and analyze and discuss afterwards. The new update allows athletes to search and easily navigate clubs they are part of and explore new clubs that are relevant to them depending on location, network, and interests. It also enables athletes to post comments on discussion boards and manage interactions with club members from their mobile devices.

Saddles for kids and safety tips from Selle Royal

Selle Royal’s range now includes four kids models that will be available soon. The four models include the Froggy, a unisex saddle designed to fit 12- to 16-inch wheeled bikes, the Ben (for boys) and Candy (for girls) that will fit 16- to 24-inch wheeled bikes, and the Hello that is designed to fit 24-inch wheeled unisex bikes. The Italian company also worked with both the Federazione Italiana Amici della Bicicletta (FIAB) and the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) to create educational messages to promote safety in cycling to younger cyclists. Illustrator Ale Giorgini designed a friendly mascot named Mr. Roy to help deliver messages of safety on the communication materials that come with the new saddles.

Don’t scratch your dropper post with a saddle bag Velcro strap

Wolf Tooth’s Valais 25 acts as a protective collar around your bike’s dropper post so you can attach a classic seat pack without damaging the dropper’s stanchion. The Valais 25 mounts to the seat post upper, providing a secure mounting point for your saddle bag that moves along with the dropper when lowering or raising it. The dual-lip design securely holds packs with straps up to 25mm wide and at full dropper compression, the deep skirt contacts the seal collar first, protecting delicate seals from damage.The collar is injection-molded from an engineering-grade thermoplastic and it can also serve as a temporary crutch in the event of a backcountry dropper failure.

Two-in-one hip pack and handlebar bags from North St. Bags

North St. Bags’ Pioneer 9 and Pioneer 12 Hip Packs double as bicycle handlebar bags. Both bags include a removable belt and a smart, 1.5-inch gatekeeper buckle that allows you to change the setup of the bag on the fly. Internal zipper pockets and optional pocket upgrades secure small items, while an external zipper pocket easily fits an iPhone for quick access.