What’s new this week in the world of cycling?
Well, let’s dive in and find out.
You can see last week’s by clicking here.
Your Chance To Own Tadej Pogačar’s Bike 🚴♂️🏆
For those with incredibly deep pockets, there is a chance to pick up a one-of-a-kind prototype COLNAGO TT1, currently owned by Tadej Pogacar.
Between December 11th and December 18th, bike-room.com are running an auction selling to the highest bidder.
In order to take part you need to join their mailing list, at which point you will be asked to forward your bid.
Other bikes are in the auction too, not just this mean machine.
It’s nice to take a look, and maybe dream a little, but for those of us more firmly grounded in the real world, there are several really competitively priced second hand bikes for sale over there. Worth a look if you’re in the market. This is not a sponsored post or anything, and I haven’t ever bought from them.
Israel-Premier Tech Introduces Blank Training Kit Amidst Israel-Hamas War
In response to safety concerns arising from the Israel-Hamas conflict, Israel-Premier Tech, the team of four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome, is implementing new measures for the 2024 season.
Riders expressed discomfort wearing kits with Israel’s name during training due to current circumstances.
Consequently, the team will issue blank training kits, allowing riders to train alone without displaying the country’s name.
Pinarello Pilfered
In a double whammy of high-stakes theft, Pinarello’s Treviso showroom fell victim to masked raiders not once, but twice in a day.
The culprits, seemingly bike connoisseurs, snatched 19 top-tier bicycles valued at a whopping €250,000.
The daring escapade involved a meticulously planned approach, with the thieves cutting through fences and strategically targeting high-value models.
Read the full sad story at Road.cc
Jake Paul Owns Alpe du Zwift
This weekend, Jake Paul, the YouTuber turned boxer, stirred up more than just the boxing world.
Venturing into the realm of virtual cycling, Paul, previously spotted riding a Jumbo-Visma branded Cervélo, made waves with a jaw-dropping performance on Alpe du Zwift.
The controversy unfolded when a Twitter user highlighted Paul’s astonishing KOM-grabbing ride, sparking a new chapter in the already eventful saga of Jake Paul’s exploits.
Manon Lloyd Honoured in Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling List 2023 🚴♀️
GCN’s Manon Lloyd, the dynamic Tech Presenter and key member of the GCN team, has earned her place in Cycling UK’s prestigious 100 Women in Cycling list for 2023.
The list, aiming to inspire more women to embrace cycling, spans diverse categories like:
- Community Champion
- Cycle Influencer
- Industry Mogul
- and Sporting Hero
Manon, a former road and track racer for Great Britain, expresses her honour in being alongside incredible women who are making significant contributions to the cycling world.
Check out the full list here. Nice work Manon, and well deserved!
Wahoo Kickr Black Friday Blundr
In a twist of events during the Black Friday sales, Wahoo’s latest Kickr Bike Shift deal faced scrutiny as a road.cc reader flagged a pricing anomaly.
The discounted bundle, including the new indoor smart bike and a supposedly free year-long Zwift subscription, was accused of being “misleading” and a potential “violation of marketing laws.”
The complainant, Richard, pointed out that the bike’s sale price of £2,799.99 seemed inflated compared to its original price of £2,699.99.
Wahoo swiftly responded, attributing the confusion to a “simple human error” on their website.
I wonder if all affected were contacted with a pre-emptive refund?
Hackers Follow Through
A few week’s back we covered how LockBit, a ransomwear group, had stolen 4.5 terabytes of Shimano’s internal data. That’s 4,500 gigabytes for those not of the nerdier persuasion. A lot of data.
Well, Shimano’s data has now surfaced online, revealing a treasure trove of spreadsheets, manufacturing insights, and even passport scans.
Bad times all round, and who knows what the long term damage will be.
Read the full story on Cycling Weekly.
Balfe’s Bikes Faces Headwinds
Balfe’s Bikes, a prominent London bike shop chain, navigates through choppy waters as director Mike Rice reflects on the “most turbulent” period in the cycling industry in 30 years.
Despite posting a £1.6 million loss in their recent financial report, Rice expresses optimism for the future, citing a nearly 10% sales growth over the peak summer and a projected 25% increase in Black Friday sales compared to 2022.
They join Sigma Sports who reported a £4.1m pre-tax loss, and Evans who hit £5m.
Bike Video Of The Week
This one isn’t from this week. It’s three weeks old.
However Luke does have a new one out this week, and is a channel I always enjoy watching.
I only just caught this one though, and I love videos like this. As ever, a great video from Trace Velo. Unsurprisingly his channel continues to grow.
Bike Of The Week
This week’s gratuitous bike shot is the 2023 BMC Teammachine SLR01 AG2R Team Bike. I know it’s a year old, pretty much to the day. But still, it’s a sexy beast of a bike.