Week in Tech: Muc-Off pressure washer, Park Tool community grants, and more
On this week's Week in Tech: Muc-Off's new pressure washer; Pegoretti's new stainless steel frame; Park Tool's community grant application opens.
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Here’s your Week in Tech — all of the gear news you need, none of the marketing gibberish you don’t want.
Muc-Off’s bike-specific pressure washer sprays into U.S. market
The season of grime is upon us and Muc-Off is ready. The company says its Pressure Washer system is the first bike-specific pressure washer available in the U.S. The washer has a 1200W carbon brush motor, which blasts 6.5 liters per minute at a maximum pressure of 1450 PSI. Perhaps more importantly, the gun and lances are coated in a soft matte material to protect your bike from accidental contact. There are several lances to choose from, each with a specific cleaning purpose. The low-pressure snow foam lance, for example, is designed to turn Muc-Off’s Nano-Tech Bike Cleaner into a thick foam to penetrate deep dirt and grit. There’s a bicycle-specific lance as well as a higher-pressure motorcycle lance too. The body of the pressure washer is housed in impact-resistant case to make this a durable, rugged unit ready for travel and life in the cyclocross pits.
Pegoretti dabbles in stainless steel with the Round frame
Cycling Brand Pegoretti’s new road racing frame, the Round, takes much of the tried and true design cues of Pegoretti’s Mxxxxxo frame and translates it into a stainless steel package. It’s made from Columbus XCR tubing and features 3D-printed dropouts. The Round is built with racing in mind, and the company designed a new brake bridge and rear triangle to increase lateral stiffness, and in turn improve handling and responsiveness. According to Pegoretti, the name is derived from founder Dario Pegoretti’s favorite sign-off handle online, among his friends and family.
Wolf Tooth doubles down on bling with nickel-plated components
A little customization never hurt anyone. Wolf Tooth understands the appeal of making your bike yours with nifty parts, so the company has launched a limited edition run of nickel-plated goodies in its component lineup. The nickel-plated offerings include a variety of headsets (EC, IS, ZS), seatpost clamps, stem caps, spacers, and chainring bolts. Once the limited edition run of nickel-plated components sell out, Wolf Tooth says it is unlikely to make more, so grab them while you can. If you do happen to miss your chance at the nickel, Wolf Tooth offers eight other anodized colors to choose from. The new nickel-plated lineup is available now on Wolf Tooth’s website.
The Alba 2 is Sidi’s newest entry level road shoe
You wouldn’t know it by looking at it, but Sidi’s Alba 2 is an entry level road shoe. It certainly doesn’t look like one. The high-end looks are complemented by high-end features, like Sidi’s Tecno 3 Precision Dial Closure, which works in conjunction with two velcro straps to secure your foot and snug up your instep. There’s even a Millennium 4 carbon sole with a replaceable heel pad, as well as an external heel cup to help keep your foot planted during hard efforts. perforations throughout the upper help with ventilation. The Albas are available in a Mega (wide) version as well, and they cost $215. Okay, that’s perhaps not exactly an entry-level price, but Sidi still manages to pack a lot of high-end features into a mid-price shoe.
Park Tool opens its community grant application period
Park Tool’s Community Grant is designed to help local non-profit cycling organizations get all the repair products necessary to service their communities. Park offers this grant yearly and outfits ten non-profits with over $1,400 worth of product to get a repair space up and running. On top of that, Park Tool will choose one exceptional applicant to receive the President’s Choice Award, which offers an additional $1,000 to spend on tools and equipment. The application process is open now through December 31st, 2019, and the winners will be chosen in mid-January.