TECH | TOUR TESTED
YOU CAN BUY SPEED !
There ’ s nothing like new bike bling to motivate you if the Tour doesn ’ t get you back out there into spring . What ’ s hottest , ride-tested by the pro peloton !
YELLOW FEVER Oakley 2023 Tour de France Sutro Lite Sweep | RRP R4 000 | oakley . com Oakley ’ s 2023 TDF collection caters to lovers of retro frogskin , the LeMond bugeye look and Lance ’ s steely Radar stare . All its timeless styles have been treated to a new Tour de France splatter design . The idea was to give each frame an impression of speed , direction and movement to represent the flying peloton . Each pair has the TDF logo laser-etched into the lens and a custom microbag . The Sutro Lite Sweep is a functional sport design with optimised coverage , extended field-of-view and impact protection . It ’ s a great choice for durability and all-day comfort , while making a bold statement . Select colourways come with vented lenses for increased airflow . The earsocks are moulded at the temples for comfort and combined with Unobtainium nose pads to keep your shades securely on your mug – even when you ’ re sweaty and flying .
BAR-MOUNTED COACH
Garmin Edge 840 GPS cycling computer | RRP R12 899 | garmin . com There was a time when how far and how fast we had ridden was wow tech , but those are things we could roughly fathom anyway . How hard we need to ride right now for what lies ahead , based on what training we have done and what racing plans we have , is a whole ’ nother story . This tool includes event-specific targeted adaptive coaching advice based on recorded cycling ability , real time training load and recovery , and actual course demands . It ’ s like having an earpiece to a tiny coach in your pocket ! Some of the features stuffed into the 80g head unit include 32 hours of battery life in demanding use ( with solar charging glass adding up to 25 minutes per hour ), multi-band GNSS tech for enhanced navigational accuracy , plus safety and tracking features like LiveTrack , group messaging , incident detection ( compatible with the Varia cycling radar and headlight ), as well as SOS capabilities when you ’ re off-grid .
PUZZLE SOLVED
Thule Epos bike carrier | RRP TBC | thulestore . co . za The Swedes have long led the industry in bike-transport design . The bike box with a built-in bike stand was next-level thinking , and now they ’ ve taken their outside-the-box ideas into car racks . The Thule Epos is a fully foldable and tiltable towbar carrier system designed to transport bikes of any type or size – including those with tricky to avoid fenders and racks – using innovative telescopic arms . These are equipped with pivoting head and reinforced straps to securely hold any bike , anywhere on the frame or rear wheel . No more puzzling over how to make different size and shape bikes fit next to each other ! The durable carrier can take three bikes with a weight of up to 30kg each . The folding arms make the boot accessible , and the rack is fully foldable for easy transportation and storage when not in use . We dig it .
BLING FOR YOUR BIG RING
KMC 12SP X12 Aurora chain | RRP R1 375 | kmcchain . com Okay , we ’ ll be honest , we can ’ t say we ’ ve wear tested too many chains , well on purpose at least , but this chain with chrome finish was just too gangster not to feature . KMC ’ s X12 Aurora 12-Speed Chain boasts advanced plate chamfering plus a hard-wearing neo chrome surface coating for robust shifting , power transfer and durability for road , mountain bike or gravel riding . The X-Bridge system on its outer plates is configured with precisely articulated angles for quicker and smoother gear shifting and quieter riding . The non-directional design of the chain allows maximum compatibility with Shimano , SRAM and Campagnolo systems .
20 | TOUR DE FRANCE 2023