There's so much new and cool-looking cycling tech right now that we can barely contain ourselves. Some gear is affordable, and we can aspire to get our hands on it. Meanwhile, other gear is more of a reach. But all of this cycling gear is cutting edge, and we really want to run out and get it.
Garmin Fenix 6
$599-$1,299
We're more than impressed with all of the features offered by the Garmin Fenix 6. It monitors fitness and recovery from prior workout sessions, acclimatization to elevation, crash/incident detection and improved accuracy for the optical heart rate monitor. Garmin boasts a battery to last for a week with heavy GPS use; when in power-saver mode, this smartwatch should go for over three weeks between charges. The flagship wearable has a photovoltaic display—so it can be charged while riding in sunlight—that extends battery life to a (claimed) 48 days. The Fenix 6 looks to be slimmer and weigh less than prior generations, and it even comes in three size options, all with full-color displays. Best of all: We think it doesn't look like a smartwatch; it looks like a modern timepiece, just as appropriate for the workplace as the pain cave.
Elite Direto X
$899
We accept that we cannot ride outdoors all the time, so the next best thing for indoor riding might be the Elite Direto X. This smart trainer has us wanting to choose Zwifting over riding outdoors—almost. We like the look of the folding-feet feature to make storage easy. The built-in optical torque sensor has us very intrigued, as does the capacity to simulate grades up to 18 percent. And if it's as quiet as claimed, we think it would be a great addition to any shared space.
Assioma Favero Duo
$624
The Assioma Favero Duo doesn't look to be just another power meter. While measuring power output at the crankarm or the bottom bracket is common, metering effort at the pedal has better accuracy. The Favero looks to be more elegant than some other pedal-based power meters, and the built-in rechargeable batteries mean less waste. The data collected can be presented through a mobile app or viewed directly in Strava. Although the pedal transmitter looks to make the Q-factor (distance from the crankarm) look bulky, it's within 1mm of similar power meters from other brands and standard "dumb" pedals.
Wahoo Kickr Smart Bike
$3,499
Some might consider a dedicated bike for inside riding extravagant, but we want to be able to just get a workout in without fiddling with a road bike on a smart trainer. For this, the Wahoo Kickr Smartbike has our full attention. We really like that we can dial in the fit to match our road bike, and even swap in our own, favorite bike saddle and bars. The crank allows pedals to be mounted at 165mm to 175mm at the most common lengths. While smart trainers can simulate climbing, the Wahoo Kickr Smart bike actually changes pitch to simulate negative 15 percent grade to 20 percent.
Worx WX-R Vorteq Track
$77,000+ as shown
When we ride an oval again, we really want to be on the WX-R Vorteq, if for no other reason that we can say we've been on an...uh...expensive bike that has no brakes or gears. Look for this bike "on the boards" for the Tokyo Olympics under the Malaysian national team.
Campy SuperRecord 12 Speed Hydraulic
$4,185
When Italian bike components manufacturer Campagnolo offers the latest technologies to make riding bikes more fun—and beautiful—we want in. Hydraulic brakes, 12-speed electronic shifting and elegant design has us drooling. Take our money!
Stages Dash L50
$299
What could better accompany our Stages power meter than the matching bike Stages Dash L50 bike computer? The GPS-enabled full color display accommodates up to 16 data fields and is claimed to be brighter than previous models. The horizontal format is unusual for head units and looks to be fantastic for displaying the pre-loaded U.S. maps for turn-by-turn directions.
Fizik Antares Versus Evo 00 Adaptive
The Fizik Antares Versus Evo 00 Adaptive is a 3D-printed bike saddle. The 147g (154g for size L) weight satisfies our desire to be as light as possible while the comfort zones with padding densities designed for specific contact points has us wanting to ride for hours as soon as we can get our hands on it.
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