Is this the most inventive/bizarre turbo trainer setup you’ve ever seen? Plus the rest of the week's top tech news

It might be Christmas but we have plenty of cool new cycling stuff to show you this week, including bling bar end plugs and a bell with a hidden Apple AirTag compartment, but we're going to start with a spin bike/turbo trainer hybrid that we can safely say is unique... 

Is this the most inventive/bizarre turbo trainer setup you’ve ever seen?

We’ve seen some really impressive pain cave setups over the years but we’ve never seen anything quite like this Frankenturbotrainer put together by Wayne Overbeck.

“I got tired of bouncing around on a full suspension mountain bike on a Kick Snap when I saw a used Kickr Core for $315 [about £260] on Craigslist and started looking for a cool bike to mate with it,” says Wayne. “I knew it had to be a rigid fork hardtail or a road bike, but damn, it’s just not going to be cool looking.

“Then I had a thought: why not put the Kick on a bike instead of the bike on the Kickr? Okay, let’s look at spin bikes. Long story short, I fell in love with the quality, adjustability, rigidity and looks of the CyclOps Pro 300E series frame, $300 [about £250] on Craigslist again.

“I removed the flywheel/ power meter, cut the dropouts and lower chainstays off, and pitched the head unit. Guess what? This is going to work, just need to remove that pivoting leg and shorten the remaining one on the Kickr.

“Then I made new dropouts to accept a 12mm thru axle and (for now) a 9-speed rear derailleur. With those huge seatstays I don't think chainstays are even needed but I made one for the drive side anyway.

“While I was at it, I modified the front handlebar mount to accept a standard 31.8mm (1.25 inch) handlebar. In the future, I will add additional mounts for stuff as needed.”

What do you think of Wayne’s efforts? If anyone has any indoor training innovations of their own, we’d love to see them.

AirBell launches bell with hidden Apple AirTag compartment 

Apple AirTags aren't bike-specific, so they don't come with a mount designed for that job, but they are an effective way to track your bike and subtly add an element of security.

AirBell has therefore created what appears to be a normal bell but with a hiding space for an Apple AirTag. Airbell says that it's practically impossible to figure out that there’s an AirTag hiding inside it (unless you're familiar with the design, of course). 

> Check out the best bike bells 2022 

The bell functions like any other bell, while the AirTag underneath can be configured to track your bicycle. It has a universal design meaning it fits onto any standard bicycle handlebar with a 22mm diameter.

It is priced at £24.96 and available to buy on Amazon. 

Find out more here

Continental adds invisible markers to verify origin of rubber

To make the "highly complex" processes in their supply chain more transparent, Continental have trialled and tested marker technology that can verify the geographical origin of raw materials throughout the tyre production process.

Continental aims to use 100% sustainably produced materials in its tyres, achieving full climate neutrality along its entire value chain with the help of this marker technology. 

Marker substances allow natural rubber to be invisibly marked using "unalterable chemical-based barcodes". This means that responsibly sourced natural rubber and its origin can be verified at every stage of the supply chain.

> Check out the best winter tyres 2022

Continental says that the appearance and performance of a bicycle tyre containing the invisible marker remain unchanged.

“We see huge potential in marker technology. In the future, it will help us to ensure that the natural rubber we use in our tyres is grown and sourced entirely responsibly,” says Claus Petschick, Head of Sustainability at Continental Tyres. 

Find out more here

Muc-Off releases bling bar end plugs

Muc-Off’s new Disco Bar End Plugs have been designed to "add bling to the bars", complementing other launches from the British brand’s range of hardware and componentry.

They’re compatible with most open-ended MTB, road, and gravel handlebar sizes, and Muc-Off says that they are lightweight, tough, and super-secure. 

> Check out the best bar tapes 2022

The Disco Bar End Plugs are available in five colours - black, red, blue, pink, and orange - to match other components you have.

 These bar end plugs are said to weigh 13g per side (26g total) and retail at £19.99. 

Find out more here

Zefal reveals "waterproof and compact" handlebar bag

Zefal says that the Z Adventure F2 handlebar bag will "quickly find its place on any type of handlebar, thanks to its double strap attachment system", and is suitable for road, mountain bike or gravel rides. 

It is said to weigh 135g with a capacity of 2.5L. It is made of PVC-free nylon material which Zefal says is water and abrasion-resistant, with a front zipper opening to allow "easy access" while riding. 

The Z Adventure F2 handlebar bag is priced at €39.95 (around £35). 

Find out more here

Wout van Aert's Tour de France bike goes for €31,001 at auction 

Jumbo-Visma auctioned Cervelo team bikes and signed jerseys raising a total of €226,797 (about £200,000) to go towards developing new cycling talent.

Wout van Aert's Tour de France 2022 Cervélo S5 (green fork) sold for the most with a winning bid of €31,001 (around £27,000), and second highest was his Cervélo S5 in Jumbo-Visma colours for €22,250 (around 19,600). 

> The Tour de France winning bike! Jonas Vingegaard's Cervelo S5

Marianne Vos' Tour de France Femmes 2022 Cervélo S5 was also up for grabs and sold for €19,500 (around £17,100). 

Find out more here

Speaking of auctions...

Remember the auction for the NFT (non-fungible token) of the 2023 Giro d'Italia Maglia Rosa we told you about a couple of weeks ago? It's not exactly setting the world alight so far with the current highest bid standing at $600. 

The package includes four physical Giro d’Italia competition leader's jerseys, a day pass for the last stage of the 2023 race, a ride in a car following the action, access to hospitality and so on.

Find out more here