Week in Tech: New Zipp wheels, revamped Pivot, Rapha custom
Here’s the Week in Tech — all the gear news, tips, and announcements you need and none of the marketing gibberish you don’t.
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Here’s your Week in Tech — All the gear news you need with none of the marketing jargon you don’t want.
Pivot reaches Mach 6
Pivot’s revamped Mach 6 Carbon is longer and lower, clearly aimed at appeasing the enduro crowd. The 65.75-degree head tube angle and 155 millimeters of travel certainly encourage straight-lining the chunder. Yet the 74-degree seat angle means Pivot hasn’t forgotten you have to earn your way to the top too. The Mach 6 is both 1x and 2x compatible and is also available in an aluminum version.
Zipp continues to plunge the deepest depths
In May, Zipp unveiled the 454 NSW wheelset (affectionately dubbed “whale wheels” here in the office). Now, Zipp has gone mega-whale. The massive 858 NSWs are 24 millimeters deeper than the 454s, which already measure 53 to 58 millimeters deep (depending on where you measure). The wheels come in both rim brake and disc brake clincher versions. The 858 will be available in November and will cost $4,400 for the pair.
Mavic’s MTB lineup gets an overhaul
Some of the names sound the same, but everything from wheels to helmets gets an update. The enduro-inspired Deemax Pro wheelset features a slim internal rim width out back (25 millimeters) to save weight, while the front maintains a wider 28-millimeter stance. The set will cost $1,099, On the soft goods side, the XA Pro helmet comes with expanded lower rear coverage that should protect against impacts at the back of the head. And the Crossmax SL Pro with MIPS is Mavic’s lightweight XC offering. The XA Pro retails for $150, while the new cross-country helmet is $170.
Spooky socks
SockGuy wants to scare your socks off with its Halloween collection. The holiday-themed socks retail for $12 and come with six-inch cuffs.
Lezyne, the bell tolls for thee!
Lezyne’s classic bells sure do look cool, and they both have a crystal-clear tone. Better yet, they’re easy to swap between bikes because they install in seconds with a couple of O-rings. The Classic (pictured) and the Shallow Classic (which looks like a drummer’s cymbal) both retail for $14.
Rapha Custom coming spring 2018
File this one under cryptic emails: Rapha tells us customisable apparel is on the way in spring 2018 … But that’s all the details we got. We’re hoping you’ll be able to customize Rapha’s hallmark sleeve stripe with flames or Hawaiian shirt prints in the near future.
Building a legacy with the Chad Young Foundation
Chad Young, 21, raced for the Axeon Hagens Berman squad when he crashed catastrophically during the 2017 Tour of Gila. He died days later from his injuries. His family has created the Chad William Young Foundation to help fund research to prevent traumatic brain injuries. The foundation has partnered with Cuore of Switzerland to offer jerseys, base layers, bibs, and more to support the cause.