Desire by Rouleur

We’ve had an amazing week in Mentougou Beijing and we’ve collected a few tech/product highlights from Rouleur Live China:

1. How about that fade? Pictures don’t do it justice.

2. A rare Cherubim track bike was a real treat for visitors.

3. A national team bike from - one of the Chinese brands on show.

4. The unique AT-01 is always a head turner.

5. On the subject of heads, know how to make a stunning bike, but their caps were also a popular item in the show.

6. Apparel newcomers offer original designs with a global influence. Lovely stuff.

7. Issue 3 of our Chinese edition of the magazine

A brand’s global reach is not normally measured in stainless steel spoke wire, but for DT Swiss there’s no better metric. The Biel-based company uses 40,000 kilometres of it every year – which is almost exactly the circumference of the earth. And the state-of-the-art machinery that produces 50,000 to 70,000 spokes per day in the Swiss facility has capacity to make even more. During the Covid boom of 2020 the factory made enough to go one-and-a-half times around the globe. “It was crazy,” remembers Peter Saegesser, DT Swiss’s head of production, his eyes widening in mock horror as he relives running two shifts concurrently, day and night, which he never thought he would have to do. Just once around the world is enough.

DT Swiss’s business is more than just spokes of course – it also makes hubs and rims and supplies entire wheels to major brands such as Canyon as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and is the wheel sponsor to the Tudor Pro Cycling and Uno-X pro teams. It makes suspension systems – forks, shocks and dropper posts. It has subsidiaries in Germany, France, Poland, Taiwan and the USA. DT Swiss is now considerably greater than the sum of its parts. But spokes is where it all started. From watchmaking wire to WorldTour wheels, DT Swiss has built its global reputation on precision, passion... and a staggering number of spokes — Read more in Issue 139 of our magazine, on our website or on the Rouleur 🔗📱

⁠The article was produced in collaboration with

✍️ Simon Smythe
📷

In recent years, cycling apparel has become so highly technical that what once seemed impossible is now taken for granted; such as riding 365 days a year in extreme heat or in the depths of winter. Cold, wind, and rain are no longer excuses to skip a ride outside and every cyclist’s wish to stay on two wheels can now sustain throughout every season. Brands like Gobik, based in the south of Spain, have embraced this climatic diversity with one clear goal: to ensure that cycling is not something seasonal, but a permanent passion.

The Spanish brand, which outfits WorldTour teams like Ineos Grenadiers and Movistar, is recognised for its technical, lightweight fabrics and warm-weather race solutions. Now, it has taken things a step further to position itself at the forefront of winter cycling apparel. After years of development and refinement, including real-world testing at the Spring Classics by Ineos Grenadiers and Movistar, Gobik has unveiled its most advanced piece to date for when the temperature goes down: the Superarmour Thermal Jacket.

Read more about the Superarmour Thermal Jacket in Rouleur Issue 139, on our website or on the Rouleur app 🔗📱

⁠The article was produced in collaboration with

✍️.abalos
📷

This is the Scott Addict Gravel RC of Cameron Jones, photographed at Emporia, Kansas before it was ridden to victory in Unbound 200 on Saturday.

The 24-year-old New Zealander broke the record for the event’s North Course and secured a spot in the invitation-only Lifetime Grand Prix. He went clear with a daunting 150 miles to go, taking only Tudor Pro Cycling’s Simon Pellaud with him, before attacking on the last climb and soloing to the line.

We take a closer look at his race-winning setup, which includes a 140mm negative-rise stem, different front and rear tyres and 2x road chainset with 160mm cranks.

Read more via the link in our bio or on the Rouleur app 🔗📱

✍ - Simon Smythe
📸 - Scott

Ventete – from French vent (wind) and tête (head) – has brought to market a revolutionary inflatable cycle helmet that not only folds down like a piece of origami to save space but is also performing better in independent impact tests than the traditional type made with expanded polystyrene foam (EPS). It has already won a slew of design awards including Red Dot and IPSO.

Rouleur went to the British start-up's Hackney HQ to meet the founders and to find out whether air is the future of head protection.

Read the full story via the link in our bio or on the Rouleur app 🔗📱

🖋 - Simon Smythe
📸 - .b.photography