A nice confluence of new gear and pro cycling has meant this week has been a busy one on Cyclist.co.uk, with plenty of fresh content.
Given it’s almost upon us, we updated our Milan-San Remo guide, opined on who might win and how they might need to go about doing so as well. A Volta Catalunya guide will follow the MSR content later today and rounding out the pro highlights was a thinkpiece on talented youngster Paul Seixas.
Tech held up an end this week too. I put out my latest Tech Talk newsletter on the recent launches from Giant and Merida, and we’ve had reviews both a range of baselayers and gilets, including the Maap Thermal LS Tee, Rapha Core gilet, Q36.5 Base Layer 3, Endura Pro SL Primaloft Gilet II, Castelli Espresso gilet, with more to come later today.
There were a couple of gravel focused launches as well, with Fulcrum releasing super-wide wavy Sharq GR and Sonix GR wheels and Look overhauling its off-road pedal range. In the Drops tops off a solid showing from the Cyclist team (though we do say say ourselves).
Campagnolo Super Record X
When Super Record 13 was launched in 2025, Campagnolo made plenty of noise about it only being the tip of the iceberg, as the groupset was just the first version in a five-strong family.
‘Only the cyclist knows the application they’ll have for the bike, so we want them to be able to mix and match components from the platform in a similar way to SRAM’s AXS ecosystem,’ says Arjan Hoogesteger, Campagnolo’s export manager.
Along with that 2×13 road variant, there’s 1×13 road, 1×13 time trial, 2×13 all-road and this, the 1×13 off-road, which Campagnolo has denoted as Super Record X.
‘In business terms Campagnolo is pretty unusual,’ says Hoogester. ‘We’re a reverse pyramid – the top end makes up most of our business, so it made sense to offer more options at this level.’
Each version introduces their own distinct components to better tune Super Record for particular riding conditions. In the case of Super Record X, the drivetrain gets a makeover.
The front derailleur and double chainring setup of the 2×13 system gets dropped, with the crankset receiving a single chainring available in eight sizes from 38-52 teeth instead. At the rear, a longer cage, clutched derailleur comes in to work with either a wider-range, 9-42 or 10-48 13-speed cassette.
The Ergopower controls can stay the same, but to drop a little weight and cost, Super Record X comes as standard with a simplified left Ergopower control, which gives up shift paddles because all the gear changes can be done by the paddle (downshifts) and thumbshifter (upshifts) on the right Ergopower.
- For more information on Campagnolo’s Super Record X groupset, visit campagnolo.com
Giro Eclipse Pro helmet
If the Eclipse Pro helmet looks familiar, that’s because it should be by now. Visma-Lease a Bike used prototypes for the second half of last season.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won the Tour de France Femmes wearing one, ditto Jonas Vingegaard at the Vuelta a España, so the amateurs that can now buy the proper helmet should have no doubts about the design’s efficacy at the top of the sport.
Ostensibly an aero road model that takes over from the Eclipse Spherical, Giro says it nonetheless prioritised airflow in the update to make it efficient and comfortable enough to wear in all conditions, so it is just as valuable on high-summer mountain stages as it is in Spring Classics.
‘I started work on the Eclipse Pro right after finishing up on the Aerohead II time trial helmet design,’ says Ash Lewin, Giro’s senior industrial designer. ‘That formed a useful base of experience for how to make the design faster, which wind tunnel testing validated. At 50kmh the new Eclipse reduces total rider-bike system drag by five watts versus the old one. Helmet to helmet in isolation, it’s 17% faster.’
According to Lewin, it was Giro’s focus on ventilation that unlocked more aero gains.
‘We used a compact shell shape, but with features such as the U-shaped intake on the brow couple with internal channelling and the spoiler arrangement at the rear of the shell, we were able speed air throughflow up. That helps cooling, but also keeps the air attached to the helmet for longer, reducing the turbulent wake behind the rider’s head that increase increases drag.’
- For more information on Giro’s Eclipse Pro helmet, visit uk.giro.com
Challenge 4 Stagioni tyres
Thanks to its name, even those with just a basic grasp of Italian should twig that Challenge’s new road tyre is a designed for use year-round.
The brand says it essentially started with high TPI carcass of a summer-best tyre to get suppleness, slipped extra casing protection underneath for durability and added its ‘SmartHydro’ tread compound on top for better wet weather grip.
By virtue of being handmade, Challenge says a new moulding process could be introduced to allowed it to pre-form the 4 Stagionis into a rounded shape that makes them easier to install.
Ekoï C12 Pro PW8 shoes and pedals
In the hunt for more performance, French brand Ekoï is turning its attention towards pedal stack height.
Its PW8 system combines a new shoe with a compatible pedal to reduce the distance between the sole and pedal axle to 8mm – around 45% lower than Look’s pedal stack height. Ekoï claims this not only increases pedalling efficiency but is 11% more aerodynamic.
‘The better integration of cleats inside the outsole reduces the drag of the complete system, as well as reducing the overall rider profile due to a lower seatpost height,’ says Ekoï’s Alexandre Freliger.
Contact area is another advantage of the made-to-match PW8 shoe/pedal design. It boasts 1,500mm² surface contact – more than double that of Look and Shimano pedals.
‘This additional area means higher power transfer for the same applied effort,’ says Freliger. ‘The pedal body itself is made from lightweight polyamide reinforced with carbon fibre, so a set of pedals and cleats weighs just 225g.’
The cleats are claimed to be self-lubricating thanks to a PTFE additive, and riders can swap between two reversible bolts with differing contours, enabling float options of 0° and 1.5° on one, and 3° and 6° on the other.
So far, Ekoï is the only brand to make a compatible shoe, but ‘is in active discussions with some major footwear brands to increase availability’, says Freliger.
- For more information on Ekoï’s C12 Pro PW8 shoes and pedals, visit ekoi.com