Gear Break: KASK Helmet, Fizik Saddle, Bianchi Specialissima, Strava, Categorized/Sturdy Cycles & 100copies With Ukraine

Gear Break: KASK redesigns history – Introducing the new Protone Icon, fi’zi:k: Seamlessly engineered comfort – Introducing the Argo Adaptive, the wait is over: Bianchi Specialissima Giro105 available starting April 15th on Bianchi.com, Strava announces official multi-year partnership with Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Classified partners with Sturdy Cycles and 100copies fundraising bicycle art #50 – Together with Ukraine.

KASK Redesigns History – Introducing the New Protone Icon
One of the most iconic helmets in this Italian company’s long history has now been redesigned: Protone Icon, comfort, design and performance are now elevated to even higher levels, whilst retaining the features that have set the standard in terms of style for state-of-the-art cycling helmets.

It’s a bold move to redesign a helmet that, with all its technical qualities and iconic style, has been the benchmark that has helped win more road cycling titles than any other helmet. The KASK Protone has been donned by all the major international teams and cyclists, helping them to achieve five Tour de France victories, three Giro d’Italia victories, two Vuelta a España victories, as well as a total of four Olympic gold medals from Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

Today KASK announces the arrival of the new Protone Icon. Bringing in a number of new technical features and giving it an updated aesthetic for a modern look, the new model maintains the core features that have made it a true icon of the road.

The helmet’s update is far more than just an aesthetic makeover. The internal frame structure has been overhauled, resulting in improved ventilation and aerodynamics, whilst respecting the previous form.

Key Features of a new icon: The Protone Icon utilizes seamless technology, joining the lower and upper parts of the shell to create a refined and super-elegant look.

Comfort and stability have also been enhanced, thanks to a new and improved OCTOFIT+ adjustment structure. The new retention system and stabilizing rubber inserts make the helmet more ergonomic, whilst a new stabilizer, that supports a wider area across the nape of the neck, delivers enhanced balance. Thanks to the larger rotation dial coated in special rubber, it’s also easier to use, offering increased finger grip. The new OCTOFIT+ system allows all cyclists with longer hair to easily tuck in their ponytail.

The internal lining is made of CoolMax® fabric which, as well as being comfortable and quick-drying, is also removable and washable.

The new Protone Icon has been developed in accordance with the KASK WG11 protocol, an objective, scientific approach to measuring the helmet’s performance against rotational impacts.

230g in size M (in CE EN 1078 standard) Protone Icon is available in three sizes (Small, Medium and Large), covering a wide range of head circumferences from 50 to 62 centimeters, and coming in ten different gloss or matt colors.

The new helmet is priced at 275 EURO, 245 GBP, 299,95 USD, and is available worldwide from today and will be available in Australia from October 409 AUD.

fi’zi:k: Seamlessly Engineered Comfort
Introducing the Argo Adaptive

fi’zi:k announces the Argo Adaptive, an all-new 3D printed saddle that will be presented exclusively at the Sea Otter Classic between 07-10 April, 2022. Utilizing Carbon® Digital Light Synthesis™ 3D printed “digital-padding”, the new saddle expands the Argo family and joins the best-selling Antares Versus Evo within the fi’zi:k Adaptive range.

The Argo Adaptive combines the unique Carbon® 3D printing technology with fi’zi:k’s decades of saddle knowledge. fi’zi:k’s extensive saddle pressure mapping data works in conjunction with the Carbon® design, creating a seamlessly engineered ‘zonal cushioning’. The unique 3D printed lattice structure is tuned for different loading patterns across the whole saddle. The result is a shape optimized for varying postures and sit bone positions.

Originally developed in partnership with bike fitting guru Phil Burt, the Argo saddle offers a versatile short-nosed design encouraging stability and relieving pressure on soft tissue, adding to increased power output and allowing riders to become more aerodynamic. Where a traditional saddle shape encourages riders to shift their position frequently, the new Argo Adaptive puts the rider in a planted position, offering greater stability, comfort and weight distribution.

In combination with Carbon®’s digital padding, the Argo Adaptive creates the perfect platform for those who want exceptional, long-lasting comfort on a versatile saddle that provides both stability and balance.

The fi’zi:k Argo Adaptive R1 with carbon rails will be available in 140mm (190g) and 150mm (196g) and will be priced at €299 | £299 | $299.

The fi’zi:k Argo Adaptive R3 with K:ium alloy rails will be available in 140mm (224g) and 150mm (230g) and will be priced at €259 | £259 | $259.

The Wait is Over: Bianchi Specialissima Giro105 Available Starting April 15th on Bianchi.com
The limited edition with only 105 frames made, will be available online at Bianchi.com starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 15th. This unique package, which includes the official Giro 2022 Pink Jersey, will embellish the fan experience.

Specialissima Giro105 will be available online at Bianchi.com starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 15th

Less than a month before the start in Budapest of the 105th edition of the Giro d’Italia, the exclusive Specialissima Giro105 frame will be available on the new bianchi.com e-commerce platform starting at 5 p.m. (CET) on Friday, April 15, 2022.

The bond between this exclusive limited-edition frame and Italy’s most famous cycling race is immediately clear from the product’s design and aesthetic homage to the Giro d’Italia. The white of the Specialissima Giro105 enhances the frame’s pink accents with a minimalist look and clean lines.

The chromatic elements on the fork’s interior and the rear triangle are hand-crafted in a special tone called Enrosadira, specially created by Bianchi and used for the logo that’s highlighted on the down tube. Enrosadira identifies the light reflecting off the Dolomites at dawn and at sunset, when the peaks seem to shine simultaneously in red, gold, and especially pink – the Giro d’Italia’s symbolic color.

The Specialissima Giro105’s fork features the graphics of the Trofeo Senza Fine (Endless Trophy) that’s awarded to the Giro d’Italia winner. The design is an eternal symbol of excellence, perseverance, and of the desire to excel – typical of great champions.

The chromatic elements on the fork’s interior and the rear triangle are hand-crafted in a special tone called Enrosadira

An Exclusive Package for a Deluxe Experience
The Specialissima Giro105’s personality is unleashed starting with its sophisticated and carefully designed packaging containing quintessential elements, such as the Pink Jersey of the Giro d’Italia.

The journey into the Giro d’Italia’s magic continues with a printed brochure tracing the history of Bianchi and the Pink Race. It’s an interweaving of successes, epic challenges, and memorable moments; it’s a journey spanning 105 editions.

For Specialissima Giro105 owners, there will also be a sequenced metal badge engraved with the corresponding frame number – from 001 to 105 – to identify members of the exclusive owners’ club of this keepsake designed in Italy. There is also a final, small but significant detail inside the deluxe package: a glass frame containing a drop of Enrosadira paint, the precious color specially created with specific pigments to enhance the frame’s pink details.

The Specialissima Giro105’s personality is unleashed starting with its sophisticated and carefully designed packaging containing quintessential elements

Strava Announces Official Multi-Year Partnership with Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift
The world’s largest sports community partners with the world’s most iconic cycling event to create storytelling hub, bring race action to life and bolster the ecosystem of women’s cycling.

Strava, the leading social platform for over 99 million athletes and the largest sports community in the world, today announced a three-year partnership with the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. The long-term partnership enables Strava to develop new and unique experiences for its global community of athletes to follow the excitement of each stage of the race.

For the first time ever, the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will come to life inside the Strava app with a content hub dedicated to telling the story of the riders through their daily activity uploads and photos. Fans will be able to go inside Segments and relive the day’s top performances, energizing and motivating their own athletic pursuits.

The inaugural Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in 2022 will be the most significant women’s race in the world and Strava is supporting the event to bolster the ecosystem of women’s cycling and create engaging new experiences for fans and racers alike.

The Tour de France and Strava have enjoyed a longstanding shared history predating this official partnership. For several years, the Tour de France course design teams have been using Strava to help them create the race routes by analyzing insights from millions of public Strava activity uploads across France.

Strava has long been a favorite digital platform of many professional riders in the peloton, where they upload their efforts to share with fans, media and the global community of athletes. In 2021, 72% of cyclists in the Tour de France uploaded their race efforts to Strava and 62% of stage wins in the 2021 Tour were uploaded to Strava.

Michael Horvath, Strava CEO and co-founder, said: “We are thrilled to make a long-term commitment to the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift, and provide our global community of athletes with a new way to follow the action of the iconic races inside of Strava. We are committed to promoting equity and inclusion in sport and strongly believe in and support the future of women’s cycling.

The Tour is the most watched annual sporting event in the world, and three-quarters of the peloton shared their rides on Strava last year. This partnership and future events on Strava will let more riders, including the women’s peloton, engage with cyclists around the world in new ways and inspire cyclists regardless of gender, age or where they live.”

Yann le Moënner, CEO of Amaury Sport Organisation, added: “We are very glad and honored to partner with Strava, the largest sports community in the world. Strava will help cycling fans to get closer to the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and discover new routes for future challenges inspired by the world’s greatest riders. We share with Strava a passion for cycling and work together for its development for both men and women.”

Lauren Stephens, reigning US National Road Race Champion, team EF Education-TIBCO-SVB, commented: “We’re continuing to see more equality in the support and atmosphere that’s being developed around women’s racing and I think it is going in the right direction. For the last several years we’ve had single day events but now we’re getting a full stage race with the iconic Champs-Élysées experience.

I started riding before Strava existed, then joined in 2013 and it slowly just grew into something I was kind of obsessed with. To mix up my training, I find new segments in areas where I want to go, and use them as motivation to push myself for a spot on the leaderboard.
Sponsor support from companies like Strava makes this possible, and improves the race for the riders. I feel more respected and validated, and that brings more pressure, in a good way, to perform and make the racing exciting for the people and the brands that are supporting you and creating more opportunity. This competition is my primary race focus for the season and the centerpiece of my race calendar.”

Audrey Cordon Ragot, 6x National French Champion, team Trek-Segafredo, added: “It is exciting to see Strava supporting women’s cycling with this partnership because it is the platform at the heart of professional and amateur cycling. I use Strava every single day to follow my training throughout the year, and Strava is also my reference to follow what my teammates and competitors are doing.

Strava provides a unique and authentic way to share my daily life as a professional and it is where I connect with fans who follow me and support me. Being able to wear a distinctive jersey at the Tour is a dream that will become a reality for some of us, and hopefully for me!”

Strava’s partnership also includes supporting L’Étape du Tour de France, the one-day, 16,000 amateur rider mass start event held in France on July 10, which will use a route raced by the professional cyclists the The Tour de France the following week.

Classified Partners with Sturdy Cycles
Classified is proud to partner up with Sturdy cycles to the ever growing family of partnerships and offer the Powershift technology to an exquisite range of cutting edge titanium bikes.

British bike manufacturer Sturdy Cycles create made-to-order and individually optimized titanium bikes by combining cutting edge manufacturing technology with the artisan craftsmanship of custom bicycle design. Founder and designer Tom Sturdy has developed a process that offers unrivaled design freedom to optimize both geometry and structure.

Classified Powershift can be specced on all road and gravel Sturdy builts, whose one-of-a-kind nature means there are no fixed prices. Each bicycle will be made to order, meticulously conceived to suit each cyclists’ unique fit, handling preferences and structural needs.

“Classified is honored to ink this new partnership with Sturdy Cycles, an exclusive British brand that enjoys great prestige in the custom-built market and creates exquisite titanium designs that are made to perfectly fit each customer and deliver an unparalleled cycling experience,” said Classified’s CEO Mathias Plouvier. “With our road R35 and R50 and Gravel G30 wheelsets Classified is able to incorporate the Powershift technology in both the road and gravel solutions from Sturdy.”

Classified’s innovative 2-speed wireless gearing system, integrated into the rear hub, makes it possible to instantaneously change from one gear to another, under full load and on any terrain. Reliable and superfast, Classified’s technology replaces the classic front derailleur and is perfectly compatible with 11 and 12 speed rear derailleurs.

“The Classified Powershift system incorporates a complex, innovative and intelligent design into a simple and elegant package. I’ve been an advocate of 1x drivetrains for years but understand they might not suit cyclists who desire a more comprehensive gear range. Classified offers a great solution and a viable alternative to using the front derailleur,” said Tom Sturdy, CEO of Sturdy Cycles. “I’m excited to partner with another brand that shares my passion for innovation and intelligently applied engineering.”

With already more than 250 dealers in Europe and the USA, Classified’s dealer network is growing fast. Furthermore, the number of partnerships with bicycle brands is also growing rapidly. Sturdy Cycles is the 16th OEM to partner with Classified.

100copies Fundraising Bicycle Art #50 – Together With Ukraine
As you know, the war has come to the land and the homes of Ukrainians. In support of the humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, I have created a fundraising bicycle art print titled: Together With Ukraine.

Like bicycle links, the human spirit is connected.

We believe that every act of compassion and generosity will find its way to give a little hope, and we would like to do what we can to help the Ukrainians affected by war.

All proceeds from these 100 copies fundraising print will be donated to the Red Cross for the Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine.

Bicycle links seem to disappear into the chain. They are small and unnoticeable, and endure great pressure when power is set in motion. But no matter how forcefully they are being pulled apart, they cling on, one holding up the other, moving forward together.

This is for all the Ukrainians who have shown us that ordinary people can possess the greatness strength and resilience.

All of the products you see here are limited to, as the name suggests, 100 copies. Each piece of work will be stamped and written with an edition number.

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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