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TECH NEWS

The making uncool things cool edition: Five cool things coming soon from BMC, Pirelli, Van Rysel, Velotoze and Hornit

Check out the latest and coolest gear we have on test right now, with full reports on the way…

It might be back-to-school week, but it's time to unlearn which products are cool and which are not. I bet you didn't think in a million years that tubeless sealant or bike horns could be cool, and you might still think that after this...

We also take a look at an e-bike in disguise as a regular road bike, a bargain long sleeve jersey and an indoor training vest which has the potential to make those sweaty sessions just a little bit more bearable. As always these are just some tasters to whet your appetite for the full reviews coming soon...

Pirelli P Zero Sealant

£7.99

2022 Pirelli P ZERO Sealant

Tubeless sealant is always going to struggle to be 'cool', but we reckon Pirelli have given it a pretty good go. This retina-burning liquid is designed specifically for road applications (up to 130psi) but Pirelli does also make alternative versions for gravel and mountain bikes, it claims to leave behind "no sticky residue", and reportedly works from -20°C to 70°C. It can be put in either tubeless, tubeless-ready or tubular tyres as well as in inner tubes.

Whether this is actually cool or not will of course depend on how well it seals punctures. Stu Kerton has been using it to answer just that, and will be delivering his full verdict soon. At £7.99 for just 60ml, we're expecting it to be rather good!

www.pirelli.com


BMC Roadmachine AMP One

£7,600.00

2022 BMC Roadmachine AMP ONE.jpg

When creating a "cool" bike there are some rules that manufacturers need to follow: it needs to look good, and it needs to perform. As some e-road bikes have a large battery stuck to them they can be heavy and cumbersome, and in my opinion not the prettiest.  

That's not the case with the BMC Roadmachine AMP, and we reckon you'd be hard-pressed to tell that this is an e-bike if we didn't tell you thanks to the cleverly integrated 350Wh battery and Mahle's new X20 hub drive.

2022 BMC Roadmachine AMP ONE - rear hub motor 2.jpg

> BMC launches the Roadmachine AMP, the brand's first performance e-road bike

You can read all the nitty gritty tech stuff using the link above but in short it's available in three models, the ONE that we're reviewing being the most expensive and with a claimed weight of 11.8kg. The geometry and tyre clearance (33mm) is identical to the unassisted Roadmachine, and our full review will be dropping very soon...

www.bmc-switzerland.com


Van Rysel Men's Mid-Season LS Road Cycling Jersey Racer

£54.99

2022 Van Rysel Men's Mid-Season Long-Sleeved Road Cycling Jersey Racer.jpg

Disclaimer: this would be a lot cooler if there wasn't a gap between the jersey and bib shorts. Someone needs to give our mannequin lessons in panache...

Long sleeve jerseys can often cost an arm and a leg, but Van Rysel's offering is cheaper than most with a price tag of £54.99. The mid-season jersey is fleece-lined to help fight off the cold, features the standard three pockets and has ventilated panels on the back and under the arms. 

2022 Van Rysel Men's Mid-Season Long-Sleeved Road Cycling Jersey Racer - back.jpg

Mike Stenning has been using this now the weather has begun to turn, and you'll be able to read his full review soon.

www.decathlon.co.uk


Hornit dB140 with Garmin style mount

£29.99

Hornit dB140 with Garmin Style Mount

Are bike horns cool? I highly doubt it, but if one is going to get that acclaim then surely it's going to be the "loudest cycle horn on the market"?

There are no prizes for guessing how loud it is in decibels, as the clue really is in the name. Hornet claims it is "piercing", but thankfully there's also a 121-decibel mode with a lower tone for use on bike paths, so fellow users won't hate you. 

Lara Dunn has had this fitted to her bike (via the Garmin style quarter-turn mount) and will be letting us know her opinion on the device shortly...

www.hornit.com


Velotoze Cooling Vest with Cooling Packs

£89.99

2022 Velotoze Cooling Vest with Cooling Packs - back with ice packs.jpg

Wearing just a vest on a bike should be reserved for just a few of the very hottest days of the year. Why? Because it's uncool... however, as this one claims to make you less of a hot, soggy mess on the turbo maybe, just maybe, it's an exception to the rule.

Now you're probably asking, who in their right mind has been inside on a turbo testing this out rather than enjoying the tail end of the summer weather? The answer to that question is Ed Morgan, who had a timely collar bone break. Top work Ed!

Velotoze Cooling Vest with Cooling Packs Not your standard baselayer

> Cycling fitness: How to get the most from your indoor training sessions

On the front you'll find a full-length zipper, the fabric is supposed to be breathable and fast-wicking and the vest has four pockets sewn in, which hold ice packs that can be reused time and time again. Will this enter our list of indoor training must-haves? Stay tuned to find out...

www.velotoze.com

For all the latest road.cc test reports, head over to our reviews section. If you want some more advice before splashing the cash, check out our buyer's guides.

Jamie has been riding bikes since a tender age but really caught the bug for racing and reviewing whilst studying towards a master's in Mechanical engineering at Swansea University. Having graduated, he decided he really quite liked working with bikes and is now a full-time addition to the road.cc team. When not writing about tech news or working on the Youtube channel, you can still find him racing local crits trying to cling on to his cat 2 licence...and missing every break going...

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4 comments

Avatar
froze | 2 years ago
0 likes

What I can't figure out is why they can't make a tubeless tire that doesn't require sealant like a car tire?  Until they can do that I'm not buying tubeless tires.

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to froze | 2 years ago
0 likes

froze wrote:

What I can't figure out is why they can't make a tubeless tire that doesn't require sealant like a car tire?  Until they can do that I'm not buying tubeless tires.

 

There are (or used to be, at least) "true tubeless" (as opposed to "tubeless ready") wheel and tyre systems available that don't require sealant as they're designed without spoke holes in the inner rim and with beads and valve holes designed to be airtight without sealant. However, without sealant any thorn, glass etc is likely to cause a flat so you'd have to carry inner tubes to insert to get you home, and from what I hear getting "true tubeless" tyres on and off roadside makes installing already-awkward tubeless ready tyres seem a stroll in the park. It seems there probably won't be a widely-available true tubless system unless someone achieves the Nirvana of a 100% punctureproof tyre. I'm with you, from what I hear and the experience of some of my mates it seems a lot of faff for a fairly marginal gain for a recreational rider.

Avatar
Hirsute replied to Rendel Harris | 2 years ago
1 like

Pretty sure this one is puncture proof

https://road.cc/content/tech-news/would-you-ride-134kg-concrete-bike-295683

 

There is this but whether it will be a product for the public

https://techxplore.com/news/2021-03-smart-company-mars-rover-earth.html

Avatar
Sriracha replied to froze | 2 years ago
1 like

Funny, car tyre manufacturers are headed the other way;
https://www.oponeo.co.uk/blog/self-sealing-tyres-and-other-run-flat-tech...

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