"Much more than any hi-vis": A cycling jacket that's black by day but wild by night, Ritchey retires rainbow stripes (due to UCI), Catlike tones down Whisper lid's iconic holes + more

We've got loads of tech news and fun new stuff to bring you in this week's Tech of the Week, including a jacket that's rather eye-catching (but only at night), new tools and tech, and some other big announcements from across the bike industry. Let's dive straight in...

"Much more than any other hi-vis": A cycling jacket that's black by day but turns wild at night by reflecting the "full light spectrum"

Well this is something a bit different.

Rule 28's Spectral Jacket looks like this at night and in low-light conditions, but appears black during the day. Made from glass microsphere fabric, in direct light it reflects the full light spectrum. It's probably easier just to show you.

Rule 28 says it means you'll "stand out much more than any other high-vis jacket" and "blend in by day, stand out at night". It's priced at £175 and away from the visibility features, the jacket is midweight and water resistant. It has a double-ended zipper for heat management, always handy in layering season, plus the shoulder vents provide "excellent breathability to keep the jacket usable in warmer weather".

As you might expect, there are three rear pockets, Rule 28 offering it in sizes from XXS to XL. Check it out on the brand's website.

Ritchey retires WCS rainbow stripe logo... due to UCI regs

After 30 years Ritchey is dropping the iconic rainbow stripes from its WCS logo. The reason, rather predictably, is because of UCI regulations. Despite the two parties having previously come to an agreement allowing the brand to continue to display the rainbow stripes as part of its logo, that expired at the end of 2024.

Ritchey acknowledged the decades-long partnership and thanked the UCI "for the use of the celebrated symbol".

"It has been an honour for Ritchey to bear the mark of champions, thanks in no small part to the athletes, like inaugural Mountain Bike World Champion Don Myrah, Ruthie Matthes, Henrik Djernis, Thomas Frischknecht, Nino Schurter, and Jenny Rissveds, who have helped make the brand the standard of excellence that pro racers expect from their componentry," Ritchey said this week. "We are now moving on to the next brilliant phase of Ritchey's WCS logo." 

Ritchey's new WCS product logo retains a similar design and font as the Rainbow Stripes version that brand followers have known for decades. The only change is colourway. Replacing the Rainbow Stripe colours are grey metallic stripes on Ritchey products, while the packaging will now feature blue stripes. 

Catlike tones down Whisper's iconic holes

Remember the Catlike Whisper helmet and its unforgettable design?

Here's the latest edition, the Whisper II, which Catlike has recently unveiled.

The "innovative" design first appeared in 2006 when Catlike launched the helmet, a key feature being exceptional ventilation due to all those holes. In 2015 we gave it four stars when we had it in for review, again the design and ventilation getting a positive mention.

The latest version keeps those same ventilation credentials, Catlike also suggesting the new design is more comfortable and boasts enhanced safety via the internal polymer system and MIPS® technology. It's also ponytail-compatible which is always a plus.

Nearly 40 per cent of the front area is open, it has a total of 29 airflow channels and a size medium weighs 255g. The Whisper II is priced at €137.49 (£115).

A Chris King coffee tamper? Take (a lot of) our money

Move aside Campagnolo Corkscrew, we've made a new note for our money-no-object Christmas gift guide 2025... because Chris King has released a compact-sized version of its legendary coffee tamper, priced at $150 and available in "all the King colours you could want".

"Meticulously designed" and "precisely machined" to ensure "the highest quality and exceptional feel", the design is such that it mirrors Chris King's NoThreadSet headset. Check it out here.

Kostüme raises £116,000 in crowdfunding investment campaign

Kostüme, the maker of some pretty decent cycling kit (the men's bib shorts getting a 10/10 review off Jo two years ago), has put 8.55 per cent up for investors on crowdfunding investment platform Crowdcube. At the time of writing, £116,766 has been raised via 54 investors, exceeding the £100,000 target. The share price is £9.29 and along with your stake there appear to be rewards for investing from £200 up to £50,000.

Wahoo Elemnt Ace approved for use in UCI-sanctioned races

More UCI news... lucky you. Wahoo's new bike computer, the supersized Elemnt Ace and its integrated wind sensor, have been reviewed and approved for use in UCI-sanctioned events (subject to ongoing compliance with safety standards). 

It means the riders of UAE Team Emirates, Lidl-Trek, Team Picnic PostNL, Decathlon AG2r La Mondiale and EF Pro Cycling (+ more than 25 other UCI-registered teams) will all have the option of using the Elemnt Ace, but will the extra weight put some off? I guess we'll find out soon...

Gemini takes an interesting approach to marketing

Something a bit different to finish...

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by G E M I N I (@ridegemini)

Barcelona-based Gemini makes some very flash components, from the "most advanced carbon fibre chainring" to the new Älzir, a €1,250 bar that promises "art in the form of handlebars". There's your one-sentence context and here's the marketing email that dropped in our inbox this week from the brand...

The same day, I received two emails insulting us.

From two different people.

The first one tore us apart, saying we were out of our minds with our prices, asking who we thought we were, belittling what we do… blah blah blah.

The second one simply said: 'You guys are bastards.'
And then continued:
'What you just launched is absolutely insane. I've been waiting for this for so long, and it did not disappoint.'

For a moment, I was tempted to reply to the first one.

To try to explain everything behind what we do—the philosophy with which we approach each product, the materials, the process we’ve developed, how we push every detail beyond limits, staying true to our values and manufacturing everything ourselves.

And then I thought...

If someone takes the time to write an email full of nonsense like that, there are only two possibilities:

Either they don't have a clue what we do and haven't even bothered to find out — so all they really want is to vent their frustration,

or

they do know what we do and simply lack the ability to understand the difference.

So I didn't even reply.

I only answered the second email.
And his handlebar is already being made.

Reading those two emails back-to-back, I couldn't help but picture this type of person writing to brands like Ferrari, Apple, or others, telling them their prices are outrageous.

If you can't understand everything that goes into what we create, then simply, what we do is not for you.

My mother used to say: 'If you want something you can't afford right now, focus on figuring out how to get it.'

That's why we don't manufacture for everyone.
We don't mass-produce.

We don't try to convince those who will never get it.

We create for those who see their bike as more than just two wheels and a frame.

For those who don't need to justify their passion to anyone.

For those who aren't ashamed to say how much they've spent on their setup— because they've earned it.

If you're like the second guy, you'll find what you're looking for here:

That 'here' was a link to Gemini's products page. Anyway, it was a more entertaining read than 99 per cent of the emails that drop in our inbox so mission accomplished...

In case you missed it: 

• Shimano officially launches entry-level CUES groupsets for drop bar road and gravel bikes, including 9, 10 and 11-speed options "at a reasonable price point"
• Body Rocket launches the "world’s most accurate cycling power meter" claiming +/- 0.1% accuracy
• Is this the fastest road bike in the world? Toot Engineering reckons its new aero bike is way more efficient than big-name competitors (and it's UCI-legal)
• Blue "triangle of death" issue renders thousands of Garmin cycling computers and smartwatches temporarily unusable... but there are now numerous fixes (sort of)
• The seat tube-less Baldiso One aero bike laughs in the face of UCI rules, and it's now available to buy
• Triathlon specialist Quintana Roo unveils new "all speed" aero road bike — and it's actually quite reasonably priced
• Will these new Look Keo-compatible pedals deliver pro-level performance for under £100? Plus cool things from Merida, Santini, Northwave + Madison