Peloton Paddock Press Camp Coverage

Fresh off a plane and in Park City, Utah for Press Camp, day one provided plenty of options to include in our weekly Peloton Paddock. The day was filled with meetings and a solid afternoon ride – once the extravagant Mexican fare dinner had settled, these four products rose to the surface. Expect plenty more to come from the #PelotonServiceCourse as the camp rolls on over the next two days.

peloton

RELATED: Check out what else is on test at the Peloton Service Course.

Crafted from 6000 series aluminum alloy, the new Ridley Helium SLA is aimed squarely at the entry level racer. The new aluminum offering from the Belgian rooted company features double pass welding on the head and seat tubes for additional strength in these high stress areas. A close inspection reveals geometry and tube shapes similar to the Tour stage-winning Helium SL carbon model. This is not by accident because these shapes are optimized for maximizing the stiffness-to-weight ratio. The down tube and top tube are hydro-formed while the rear seat stays are paper thin to help dampen road vibrations. A 27.2 mm seat post is also used to absorb bumps felt from the road and normally associated with aluminum frames. Two alloys, 6061 and 6066, are used to combine resilience with tensile strength. This creates a frame that has the quick reactivity of Ridley Carbon models, all in an alloy frame weighing approximately 1,200 grams. Internally routed cables create a clean look for the SLA. Built for racing and comfort, the SLA is the perfect bike for an entry level, race-oriented rider who wants top of the line performance without breaking the bank. The result is a high quality ride with a reasonable price. The Helium SLA should be available by September in sizes from XXS to XL.
Framesets start at $800, complete builds range from $1,300 to $2,000: ridley-bikes.com

From the creators of a saddle we really enjoyed testing and new for 2017, the UK company Fabric displayed a whole line of extremely versatile LED lights for the commuter, safety conscious rider or gadget collector. The F30 front white, R30 rear black, FL150/300/500 (all numbers correspond to the lumens) are lightweight, offer efficient brightness and road safety for cyclists of all types. As we’d expect from Fabric, innovative and exciting features included high speed USB charging, brightness controls with the twist of a dial, burn time indicators, and ‘Get Home Safe LEDs’ are featured across its entire range. The rear light contains an accelerometer so when a quick stop occurs, the light goes from flashing red to a solid block of red. All of the lights are water resistant, provide up to nine hours of burn time in the strobe mode and the FL150 even doubles as both a front and rear light with a combination red/white LEDs built in.
F/R30 $40, FL150 $50, FL300 $60, FL500 $80: fabric.cc

The Revbox is relatively similar to the standard seated rowing machines found in gyms across the globe. One of the only indoor trainers on the market to operate with extremely low inertia, due to a lack of centrifugal mass, it’s able to generate the required tension from air resistance. Used in indoor rowing machine technology for decades, the New Zealand based company has athletes such as the 2015 World Time Trial Champion Linda Villumsen riding its product to obvious success. Air braking is used to create low inertia resistance while helping to develop the most efficient pedal stroke possible for the cyclists. Revbox claims to offer the the lightest (19.6 pounds) indoor trainer of its resistance class in the world.
 $1,000: revbox.co.nz

Ridden by the US based domestic women’s squad, Happy Tooth Dental Professional cycling, the AC1 is the road aero series offered by Blue Bicycles headquartered in Orange County, California. Design features of this aerodynamic machine include proprietary super flow technology (SFT) tested in the A2 wind tunnel in North Carolina. The top of the line SL Di2 model uses high-modulus 800k Toray carbon with a full carbon fork and drop outs. Triathlon inspired internal routing sees the cables enter the top tube directly behind the headset. 3D Rotor cranks come standard on the top end model as well as in-house brand Aerus carbon clinchers. Weighing in at a svelte 14.8 pounds (size medium) this build could easily serve as an everyday road bike as well as an occasional time trial setup.
 SL Dura Ace Di2 $6,300, EX Ultegra Di2 $3,200: rideblue.com