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Mathieu van der Poel has been spotted on a new unreleased 2026 Canyon road bike but is it a new canyon aeroad or canyon ultimate? We wade in with our theory. We also dive deeper in to RedBull's aero testing designed to help make pro cyclists Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic even faster in 2026. New carbon road bike wheels from DT Swiss and a new e-road bike from Scott.
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00:00What on earth do bubbles, lasers and bats have to do with cycling?
00:05And how could they make Primoz Roglic and Remco Evanapol even quicker in 2026?
00:11Van der Poel has been spotted on a new bike from Canyon, but what actually is it?
00:15And new tech from SRM, Q36.5, DT Swiss and Scott.
00:20This is Cycling Weekly, let's get into it.
00:23We'll start with this, a rather blurry screen capture from Matteo van der Poel's autumn
00:28training camp in Spain.
00:30But look closely and not all is as it seems.
00:34Compared to Freddy Ovette's bike next to him, there's definitely some noticeable differences,
00:40including this Y-shaped cockpit, more tyre clearance and a different seat stay arrangement.
00:46It certainly does look like it could be an all-new Canyon Aeroad, but as the latest Aeroad
00:52CFR only released last summer, is it really time for an update?
00:56One possible theory is that this isn't a new Aeroad at all, and rather a new Ultimate,
01:02which is more likely due an update based on previous timelines.
01:06The Aeroad is the go-to race bike for Canyon sponsored teams on all terrains it seems, so
01:12the Ultimate in its current guise is losing relevance.
01:15Could Canyon's solution be to make it more Aero?
01:18If so, then this raises the question, what of the Aeroad?
01:22Well, I reckon it would open the door to go full radical.
01:26Canyon has the know-how from its track and TT bike, so if the Ultimate became the all-rounder
01:31race bike, maybe the Aeroad could go head-to-head with the latest crop of full-on Aero bikes,
01:37such as that Factor prototype and the Colnago Y1RS.
01:42We'll keep you updated as and when we see more, so make sure you're subscribed to the
01:46channel and let us know what you think about our theory in the comments below.
01:52From blurry spy shots to a dark tunnel in the depths of the UK, this is Catsby, a disused
01:58railway tunnel that's now used for aerodynamic testing.
02:02It's latest visitors?
02:03Dan Bigham, Red Bull Bora hands grower and Tom from Cycling Weekly.
02:08It's safe to say that Tom wasn't expecting what he saw next.
02:13Out came some bubble machines, chalk spray and lasers powerful enough to light a cigarette,
02:18all with the aim of validating the CFD that the team has already been doing.
02:26This is particle imaging velocimetry, or PIV, so how does it work?
02:43Well there's more to those bubbles than meets the eye, they're actually helium filled and
02:47meticulously created to be exactly 0.3mm in diameter.
02:52Bigham then repeatedly rode through the bubbles, and thanks to the lasers and eight cameras,
02:57they can then capture the wake behind him, and how the air is… working.
03:04What they then do is compare it to their CFD model on the computer to check that it's accurate.
03:11Dan Bigham has long said that you can't see aero, but maybe he's devised a way in which you can.
03:17So why do they have to spray the frames, I hear you ask?
03:20Well, the chalk spray was used liberally, not only on the bike but also on Bigham,
03:25to ensure that what was captured in the images was the actual data and not a reflection.
03:31A hundred runs later and a shed load of analysis, and apparently the CFD does check out.
03:35Apparently this is the first in the world of cycling, but with Red Bull investing up
03:39to 12 days a month in Catsby Tunnel during the winter, it's unlikely to be the last.
03:46You've heard of Q36.5 before, they make some very nice Italian clothing and footwear.
03:52You've heard of SRM, the creators of the first commercial power meter,
03:56and together they've come up with these. A set of ultra-low stack height pedals,
04:02that contrary to popular belief, have nothing to do with the power meter.
04:06In typical Italian fashion, the brand calls their new system revolutionary,
04:09but what's the benefit of low stack height? Well, Q36.5 says that these offer the most
04:16direct pedalling feel ever. Not only that, but this evolutionary leap in pedalling performance
04:21reduces stack height by over 8mm compared to existing 3-volt pedal and shoe combinations,
04:27which translates into more direct power transfer, a snappier race feel, and the potential for improved
04:34efficiency in every pedal stroke. Obviously we haven't been able to validate any of this yet,
04:40but they should be available to you and I from December 4th for what I imagine will be a very
04:45high
04:45price tag. Oh, and Q36.5, they've been busy. They've also released their Foul Weather Racing Collection,
04:52which has been designed to fill the needs of Tom Pidcock and his teammates. This one is called the
04:58Rain Shell Aero jersey, aka the condom. That's not my words, that's theirs. So, would you wear...
05:07So, would you wear a Johnny-like Pidcock on your rides? Let me know in the comments below.
05:15Right, new wheels next, and they're from Wheel Giant DT Swiss. These aren't just any new wheels though,
05:21because this is a first for the brand. They've got carbon spokes. What this means is that nearly
05:27everyone is now in agreement. Well, cycling brands anyway. They need to offer carbon spoked wheels
05:32in their line-up to continue to hit those desired weights. Speaking of weight, these weigh in at under
05:391200 grams, are 38mm deep, and have been developed to work with the Aero 111 tyre for a complete wheel
05:46system. You can still load them up with 110 kilos, but rather interestingly, they've got Vanilla spokes,
05:52by far the most popular brand of carbon spokes. But I must admit, I sort of thought that the delay
05:58in
05:59DT Swiss releasing a carbon spoked wheel was because they were developing their own. Apparently not.
06:05The new wheelset certainly looks good, right up until you see that the rim width is 20mm. Yep, 20. Just
06:1320.
06:14Maybe it's a typo first, because it is a lot less than other wheels in this segment,
06:19and they cost £2,899 or $3,727. I don't know what planet you'd have to be on to buy
06:29them at that price.
06:30That's obscene. Honestly, if you choose these, then I don't know what you're on. Ignore all the brilliant
06:36Chinese options if you want, but how can anyone possibly justify these ARC 1100s over, let's say,
06:43a set of Newman streams. They're the same depth, 2mm wider internals, 100g lighter, the same Vanilla
06:50carbon spokes, still hooked rims, they're less than half the price. I'll leave you to do the maths on
06:57that one. Now, you might remember a few months ago, I took my mum on her longest bike ride ever.
07:06If you
07:06missed it, there's a link up there, but spoiler, she dropped me on a hill. It was mainly thanks to
07:13this TQ Systems HPR40 mid-drive motor, a small lightweight motor that Canyon rather cleverly packed
07:20into its on-fly Endurace. Well, it's just got a competitor, because now Scott has put the same
07:26e-bike motor into their own bike, it's called the Fastlane. Scott says that its new bike turns
07:32mountain passes into gentle hills, while combining pure road bike feel, freedom and aesthetics,
07:38with just the right boost of extra power. That's 200 watts, by the way. I must admit,
07:43I do think it looks really good. There's three models, they're all carbon fibre, the frame and fork
07:48is certainly really lightweight, it's 1.2kg, which is well up there with all the competition. They take
07:54three hours to charge to 100%. So, what do you reckon? Best looking e-bike yet? Let me know in
07:59the
07:59comments below. What do you think about the name, Ed? Fastlane? No comment. No comment.
08:04I'd say that's a middling name.
08:08Whether you ride a commuter, a road bike, a gravel bike or a mountain bike, this video has been brought
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09:08Now, before we get on to some of the latest news from the Pro Peloton, I thought I'd draw your
09:12attention to this, because as you know, we review all sorts of stuff over on the Cycling Weekly website,
09:18but it's very, very rare that we ever give anything full marks. Things just aren't that good.
09:24Well, it's happened. The new Sportful Fiandra Shift jacket has scored that elusive 5 out of 5 stars.
09:31This is particularly good news, as when it was announced that PFAS materials would be banned,
09:38many of us thought that cycling jackets were just going to be a lot worse.
09:42Apparently not. Politech's Aircore technology has taken it one step further,
09:46and this is a jacket that looks absolutely ideal for, well, this time of year or early spring.
09:52We'll pop a link to it down in the description below.
09:55And we've finished with some news from the Pro Peloton. You've probably seen that Premier
09:59Tech has said its position as sponsor of Israel Premier Tech is untenable, even with a name change.
10:06But you might not have heard the rumours that they could be joining Alpecin in place of De Koenig.
10:11Now, we're not sure how much truth there is behind this, but it certainly does seem plausible.
10:17Oh, and also, apparently Cube to Total Energies and the Lotto Intermarche 1T, whatever their
10:24merge team is called, they're apparently going to stick with Orbea bikes that Lotto are currently on.
10:29There you go. That's all you need to know. Make sure you like, comment and subscribe,
10:33and we'll see you next time.
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