Gear Break: Swiftwick Socks, Verge With Ukraine, State Tie-Dye, Lezyne Instruments, UDOG Cima & Pirelli

Gear Break: Swiftwick Flite XT Trail socks, Verge: We stand with Ukraine, State’s Undefeated gets new alloy and pearl/tie-dye colorway, Lezyne: RAP II-Series of cycling multi-tools, UDOG: Introducing Cima shoes and the PIRELLI factory in Bollate, Italy, starts its production of cycling tyres.

Swiftwick Flite XT Trail Socks

The Flite XT Trail offers the best of all worlds as a performance sock: a natural merino wool upper that wicks moisture and regulates temperature, along with grip fibers and ankle support to maximize stability. This sock was made to tackle all of your outdoor adventures, from runs to hikes and more.

Stability Technology – Swiftwick’s proprietary GripDry Fiber, incorporated into the ball and heel of the sock, has micro treads that grip your sock to the inside of your shoe. AnkleLock Technology uses strong elastic around your ankle to provide support while moving on uneven terrain.

Comfort-Driven Design: The sock’s natural, temperature-regulating Merino Wool blend will keep you comfortable from the cool of the morning to the midday heat.
Hydrophobic Olefin fibers in the footbed, along with the natural Merino Wool, wick moisture away to keep your feet dry and blister-free. Seamless toe box eliminates points of friction in the forefoot.

Available in men’s and women’s in 2 sock heights:

• Flite XT Five: $27.99
• Flite XT Two: $23.99

Chuck Peña PEZ sez: I have more than a few pairs of Swiftwick socks so had high expectations based on previous experience and the Flite XT didn’t disappoint. First and foremost, the 5-inch high version should meet with my amigo Ed Hood’s sock height approval.

Construction-wise, the Flite XT is a relatively solid/dense knit, which results in fairly firm compression that’s comfortably tight. The cuff is doubled knitted to help keep the socks up. The heel and bottom of the toe are just a little bit “grippy” to help keep the socks in place in your shoes. The sole of the sock is slightly thicker to provide a little bit of padding. All of this is useful for the Flite XT’s intended purpose: hiking and trail running.

Feets don’t fail me now!

But I’m not a hiker/trail runner and IMHO the Flite XT is a “do it all” sock that can be used for other purposes … like cycling. It’s slightly thicker than warm weather cycling socks but the same or less thick than winter cycling socks, so I had no problems with it fitting in any of my cycling shoes. Plus the merino wool is soft against my skin.  And because it’s made with merino wool, in many ways the Flite XT is a “perfect” pair of socks for this time of year — transition/shoulder season — as the temps begin to creep up but it’s still on the cool side. Two thumbs up … or is that big toes?

Style is in the eye of the beholder, but stylish IMHO

Verge: We Stand With Ukraine

State’s Undefeated Gets New Alloy and Pearl/Tie-Dye Colorway
State’s classic Undefeated gets a new color and disc brakes for the Undefeated Road

The new Undefeated line-up has been re-engineered with Y9 aluminum, based on 6061 Aluminium but with added titanium, giving it improved hardness and tensile strength over its predecessor. This new-alloy composition allows for the thinnest possible wall thickness to be used, thereby reducing overall weight.

The new bikes also offer a head-turning, metallic flake paint job that truly stands out. The brilliantly toned psychedelic visuals combine with top of the range materials, components, and geometry to deliver the unparalleled performance and value expected of State.

Undefeated Disc Road – Pearl/Tie-Dye

Get off the track and out of the city on the Undefeated Disc Road; featuring new Y9 Alloy tubing, an oversized tapered head tube, and a full-carbon fork that come together to create a stiff, responsive, and fast ride. The Undefeated Disc Road complete build features a simplified 1×11 drivetrain. Paired with an 11-32T Cassette, the Undefeated Road provides a gear range to meet any challenge on the road. Tubeless compatible wheels and strong disc brakes glide over the road ahead.

The Undefeated Disc Road retains the geometry and style the Undefeated Series is known for now with disc brakes. These simple, mechanical stoppers work reliably in all weather conditions and add stopping power. The Undefeated Road Disc still represents State’s trademark value, with a complete build MSRP of $1499.99, and a frameset MSRP of $699.99.

Specs:

• FRAME: Double-Butted Aluminum w/Tapered Head Tube
• FORK: Full Carbon Fiber Fork & Steer Tube by Essor USA
• WHEEL SET: State Bicycle Co. Road Wheel Set (Tubeless)
• CRANK: State Bicycle Co. All Road 1
• CHAINRING: 46t
• CASSETTE: 11-32t
• MSRP: $1499.99 (complete), $699.99 (frameset)
• More info at: www.statebicycle.com

Lezyne: RAP II-Series of Cycling Multi-Tools

Combining undeniable style with precision engineering, the RAP II-series of cycling multi-tools provide unmatched performance. Designed, engineered and manufactured in-house, each and every RAP II tool is brimming with innovative features—from lightweight, ergonomic machined-aluminum side plates with integrated magnetic quick-link holders to longer hardened steel tool bits for easier access to hard-to-reach-bolts. The steel tool bits are made with our Black Anti-Corrosion Technology for increased corrosion resistance. Compact and versatile, these multi-tools are built to last and designed to efficiently get riders back on the road or trail.

Specs:
Weight:
RAP II 6: 82g
RAP II 8: 89g
RAP II 12: 125g
RAP II 13 TUBELESS: 140g
RAP II 18: 148g
RAP II 19 CO2: 158g
RAP II 20 TUBELESS: 180g
RAP II 24: 175g
RAP II 25 CO2: 195g

Tool Bits:

UDOG: Introducing Cima

The PIRELLI Factory in Bollate, Italy, Starts its Production of Cycling Tyres
The first P Zero race tyres, manufactured in the plant to be dedicated to its top-of-the-range lines, will hit the market starting from March.

The Pirelli plant in Bollate, Italy, has started producing Pirelli cycling tyres, thus becoming the only factory to make industrial scale, “Made in Italy” bike tyres. The historic facility is just a few kilometers from Milan and was opened by Pirelli in 1962. It has been undergoing a modernization and overhaul process for some time to accommodate the production of Pirelli Cycling’s top-of-the-range lines.

The plant will be dedicated to the production of high-tech tyres, including all the models of the P Zero Race family, in its updated version featuring the “Made in Italy” brand, already available for purchase since March. The Bollate factory will be manufacturing both tyres for amateurs and tyres for the athletes of some of the cycling teams of the highest UCI category, including Trek-Segafredo, UAE Team Emirates, AG2R Citroën, and MTB teams such as Wilier Triestina-Pirelli and Canyon CLLCTV-Pirelli, all already Pirelli partners who play an active role in developing the Pirelli tyres. Moreover, the plant’s proximity to the Pirelli Headquarters and to the R&D department will be an accelerator of the development of Pirelli’s future cycling products.

Being the leading developer of Ultra High Performance car tyres on the market has enabled Pirelli to apply its consolidated expertise in the innovative process world to bike tyres. The Bollate factory is truly unique in this sector and innovation is present at all levels: not only in process automation, which guarantees extremely high-quality reliability and geometrical precision to the product – which is an even more important factor when it comes to a bike tyre, given its small size and light weight – but also, for example, when it comes to semi-finished products, here Pirelli tested a unique extrusion system, which also helps reach absolute geometrical and weight precision; and finally its compounds, developed with a continuous mixing system. Each process has been devised in accordance with the specific features of Pirelli Cycling tyres, with the highest safety standards and with high automation; thanks to the CE certified machinery combined with the consolidated expertise of the Pirelli employees, this will guarantee the necessary quality to turn the final products into benchmarks.

Pirelli is also carrying on its renovation of the spaces dedicated to its employees, to offer them a pleasant environment for them to work in. There will be a complete restyling of the buildings and of the exteriors, with a more contemporary style. The result will be a modern and efficient industrial complex that is well integrated into the surrounding urban setting, thus enabling it to produce tyres based on the highest quality standards and the Pirelli performances the market is already well familiar with. Pirelli has started manufacturing the first tyres, while the complete renovation of the industrial plant is expected to be completed by early 2023.

“We are very satisfied with the new look and function of the Bollate factory, thus bringing back to Italy part of the production of cycling tyres, even more so this year as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the company. To us, bicycles have a great historical and symbolic value: bike tyres were the very first tyres Pirelli ever produced and today we are bringing back this part of our business to just a few kilometers from our headquarters. Moreover, the Bollate project enables us to add value to the local territory, with measures aimed at turning Bollate into a modern and sustainable plant, and its surrounding environment along with it”, stated Andrea Casaluci, General Manager Operations at Pirelli.

Note: PEZCyclingNews ask that you contact the manufacturers before using any products you see here. Only the manufacturer can provide accurate and complete information on proper / safe use, handling, maintenance and or installation of products as well as any conditional information or product limitations.

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