Zipp: any damage from Wahoo Kickr Rollr still not covered by warranty – plus more tech news from Strava, Zwift, Hammerhead, Selle San Marco, Syncros, and more

This week’s roundup of top bike tech features big names like Zwift, Hammerhead, Syncros and Selle San Marco, along with a bike frame made from 147 nuts, but first up, Zipp has reaffirmed that the Wahoo Kickr Rollr is not compatible with its wheels…

Zipp reiterates Wahoo Kickr Rollr position: any wheel damage isn’t covered by warranty

After Wahoo released the results of independent testing earlier this week suggesting that its Kickr Rollr causes no structural or cosmetic impact to a bike’s frame, wheels or tyres, Zipp has reaffirmed that any damage to its wheels resulting from use with this type of trainer would not be covered by the warranty.

The Wahoo Kickr Rollr is similar to a set of traditional rollers but with a frame at the front to hold your bike’s front wheel and provide extra stability. Read our Wahoo Kickr Rollr review here. 

The Kickr Rollr is designed to take a wide range of frame and tyre sizes via the quick-release adjustable wheelbase clamp.

Earlier in the year, Zipp said, “Using trainers that attach to the front rim or tyre of the bike while the rear of the bike remains unsecured can cause significant flexing outside of normal intended use.”

It named the Wahoo Kickr Rollr as being “currently not compatible with Zipp wheels”. To our knowledge, no other brand has specifically stated that its wheels shouldn't be used with this trainer.

> Warranty: sometimes things break – why you should check out your bike's warranty, what's covered, what's not + tips for making a claim

We reported on Monday that Wahoo had enlisted independent testing laboratory ACT Lab to put the Kickr Rollr through “vigorous fatigue tests to simulate the highest degree of reasonable use”.

“The test concluded that there was no structural or cosmetic impact to the frame, wheels or tyres resulting from the Kickr Rollr use even under these extreme test conditions,” said Wahoo.

However, Zipp’s Marie Didier told us, “While this is a positive test, Zipp remains committed to the following position: Zipp wheels are not intended to be used on trainers that attach to the front rim or tyre of the bike while the rear of the bike remains unsecured. Any damage caused by such use will not be covered under Zipp’s warranty policy.”

Zipp's website still says, “[Our] wheels are not designed to withstand repeated high loads applied to the side of the rim and concentrated in the same area over long periods. While riding on the road, wheel loads get applied in a different manner and are distributed around the wheel due to spinning.

“If you have been using your Zipp wheels on [an indoor trainer that attaches to the front wheel or tyre while the rear wheel is unsecured], stop using them and have your front wheel inspected by a local dealer.”

There you go, then: Wahoo says that the Kickr Rollr won’t cause damage, while Zipp still says that if you go ahead and use it and there are any issues, you’re on your own.

That bike’s just nuts

The question you’ve always asked yourself has finally been answered: is it possible to build a functioning bike frame made almost entirely from nuts? That’s nuts of the nuts and bolts variety, rather than the hazel variety, obviously. Anyway, the answer is yes, as proved by this fella…

Why would you? That’s an entirely different question, but the video has had more than a million YouTube views in under a week.

Compete with your friends on Strava with Hammerhead’s group challenge 

Hammerhead is encouraging people to get out and ride by creating their own Solstice Strava group challenge with the chance to win a Limited ‘Solstice’ Bundle. 

To be in with a chance of winning this bundle worth £359, you need to join the #HammerheadSOLSTICE Strava group and complete your own Strava group challenge before December 21st. The full bundle includes a Hammerhead Karoo 2 and limited-edition ‘Solstice’ shell as well as a 60-day Strava Premium and Komoot Premium subscription. 

> Coffee and ride with Komoot 

Hammerhead will also be hosting solstice group rides in the coming weeks in partnership with Zwift. 

> How to get started on Zwift 

Find out more here

Train with the pros on the Zwift Pro Training Camp

Zwift has revealed plans for a virtual training camp from four of the best men’s and women’s World Tour Teams with on-demand workouts available from the end of November and into the new year. 

You can train like a pro with Ineos-Grenadiers, Jumbo-Visma, Movistar and Team BikeExchange-Jayco using rider-inspired workouts from the likes of Wout Van Aert and Annemiek van Vleuten. The camp will run from 21st November until 15th January with Zwift saying you will feel “stronger and fitter than ever before.” 

> How to get started on Zwift 

Workouts are available on demand, with professional riders from all of these World Tour teams also joining and leading rides during the camp, so hopefully you’ll be free for them. 

Find out more here

Selle San Marco offers saddles in Iridescent Gold

Selle San Marco is now offering two their Shortfit 2.0 Racing and Aspide Short Racing saddles in a new Iridescent Gold colour. 

Both saddles are priced at £146.70 and are available in narrow and wide sizes. The Shortfit 2.0 Racing Iridescent Gold is designed specifically for road and gravel cycling, distinguished by its short length and maximised central cut-out open-fit. The Aspide Short Racing Iridescent Gold is particularly suited to road use. 

> Check out the best bike saddles for 2022 here

Selle San Marco has ensured your saddle and bar tape match by completing the collection with the Presa Corsa Iridescent Gold Bar Tape priced at £54.95. 

> Check out the best bar tape for 2022 here

Find out more here

Syncros announces new bikepacking bags

If you’re looking for adventure, Syncros has extended its range to include new bikepacking bags: saddle, handlebar, top-tube and frame bags. All are said to be waterproof and easily adjustable when it comes to mounting them on your bike.

The saddle and handlebar bags contain dry bags while fixation points can be left on the bike for easy mounting and dismounting.

The top tube bag can be easily fixed on the bike with its direct mount system and the frame bag offers two separate zipped compartments.

We don’t have prices for you yet.

Find out more here 

BBB Cycling partners with Taylor Phinney and Jack UltraCyclist on limited-edition helmet

BBB Cycling has partnered with former pro rider Taylor Phinney and Jack UltraCyclist (Jack Thompson) to create their third limited-edition helmet with all proceeds donated to young mountain bikers in pursuit of a cycling career. 

Only 250 of these helmets have been made in a new design of the existing Maestro MIPS. The helmet “protects the head while also symbolising a need to protect the human mind”, says BBB. Jack says how this helmet captures both beauty and chaos.  

> Find out everything you need to know about MIPS here

This limited-edition helmet will be available online from November 22nd costing €149.95 (around £130). 

Take a look at this short video featuring Jack and Taylor talking about the design process and one of the riders Taylor is helping to enter a career in cycling: 

Find out more here

La Machine introduces new casual clothing collection

Dutch casual cycling fashion brand La Machine has introduced a new collection that includes a sweater with a bib number as a back pocket (£81)...

...and a long sleeve Henley T-shirt with buttons in the shape of Paris-Roubaix cobbles (£63).

Find out more here

Cotic creates one-off “Life Bike” with David Millar 

British bike brand Cotic has collaborated with former pro David Millar and graphic designer Conor Brady to create a one-off bike to celebrate the Never Strays Far podcast supporting its first event at this weekend’s National Trophy Cyclocross. 

Assembled in the UK, this is what Cotic calls a Life Bike, based around its current, already limited-edition, Reynolds 853 tubed Escapade. Cotis says it’s a “super versatile road bike without limitations,” with clearance to fit big road or cyclo-cross tyres up to 700 x 44mm or 650b x 50mm. 

> Bike at bedtime: Cotic Escapade 

This bike has all of the fittings for two bottles, a rear rack, fork-mounted luggage and full mudguards making it ready for longer adventures on or off-road. 

> Check out the best gravel bikes under £2000 2022 

Find out more here

Kav unveils new 3D-printed helmet, and this time it’s white

California’s Kav is launching a new 3D-printed Portola Kaze helmet that follows the original Portola that we showed you at the Sea Otter Classic earlier in the year, and this time it’s available in white as well as black.

Kav says that the Kaze offers the same custom fit as the Portola but that it has “developed its next-generation material to enable an alternative to the carbon fibre black and further improve the helmet’s mechanical properties from EPS foam.”

Kav says, “After an exhaustive search, [we] sourced one of the key polymers from Japan and mixed it with a proprietary blend of additives to further enhance toughness, printability and environmental stability, creating Kav PolyCarbon. The result is a material that absorbs 35% more impact energy and is available in Cosmos Black and Polar White.”

The Kaze also features enlarged front vents for increased airflow and a new padding and sweat management system that’s said to improve cooling and prevent dripping into your eyes.

The Kaze is priced at US$320 (about £270) and comes with a 30-day risk-free trial, a 5-year warranty, and a crash replacement policy. The issue for those of us based in Europe is that Kav helmets have so far only been submitted for US CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) safety standards – there don't yet have the CE marking required for sale over here. We'll update you if/when that changes.

Find out more here

In case you missed it earlier in the week…

• BMC launches new Roadmachine 01 AMP X all-road e-bike with "revolutionary" TQ drive unit 
   
• Cannondale Neo e-bikes are expanding – their less expensive sibling models have arrived
   
• Garmin unveils Tacx NEO Bike Plus indoor smart bike – but it doesn’t come cheap 
   
• The traditionalist's idea of hell? Meet the new Moots Vamoots CRD — a fully integrated titanium road bike 
   
• Wahoo hits back at Zipp’s warranty position: testing shows Kickr Rollr causes no damage to wheels, tyres or frame