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 ÂŁ2,899 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.
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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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