Bike Tech Roundup 2026: Wheels, Saddles, Shoes and Groupsets Worth a Look

Introduction

A year of new bike gear can be difficult to sort through. Aero wheels arrive in four different depths, saddles are now printed rather than foamed, and groupsets blur the line between flagship and second tier more than ever.

This roundup walks through the road and gravel products that stood out, with the details that actually affect how they ride and who they suit. Where a claim is significant, it is worth knowing exactly what is being claimed before you commit.

ENVE SES Wheelset Range: Four Depths, One Aero Family

ENVE’s newest SES range covers four depths: the 2.3, 3.4, 4.5 and 6.7, with the 2.3 and 6.7 the most recent additions. Aerodynamics drove the design, and the front and rear rims are deliberately different. The front rim is shallower and more rounded to handle crosswinds, while the rear rim is deeper and sharper with straight-line speed as the priority. Wind tunnel development covered both 20 mph and 30 mph so the shapes work across a range of speeds.

Internal widths vary across the range. The 2.3 measures 21mm internally, the 3.4 and 4.5 move up to 25mm, and the 6.7 slims to 23mm. That wider internal width is useful: the mid-range options can be run on a gravel bike or set up for a more comfortable road ride, and every wheel in the line is designed around a 27c tyre and built for tubeless use.

Rim brake riders are excluded from this generation. There is no rim brake option in the range, no tubular version at all, and the brand has said it will continue rim brake support for another two years. Pricing sits at 2,850 US dollars per set.

Black Inc Disc Wheel: Forged Carbon for Time Trials

Black Inc, the in-house component manufacturer at Factor Bikes, has released a new disc wheel built and optimised for the Factor Hanzo time trial bike. It uses a 30mm outer width and a 21mm inner width, and the pre-tensioned wheel is optimised around 25c tyres run tubeless.

The wheel weighs 1,188 grams and costs just over 1,700 pounds in either the Shimano or SRAM XDR version. The forged carbon fibre finish gives it a distinctive marbled look that stands apart from most disc wheels. What would strengthen the case further is independent testing, since disc wheels are usually judged against a well-established field.

Silca Speed Edition Aero Socks: Knit, Not Lycra

Silca’s Speed Edition socks use a knit construction instead of the lycra most aero socks rely on, and the brand says they are just as fast. The speed comes from three rows of turbulators: slightly raised profiles that turn laminar airflow turbulent so air stays attached to the leg for longer, which reduces drag.

The claimed savings are three to four watts at 20 mph and 10 to 12 watts at 30 mph. That second figure is large, comparable to what a disc wheel is said to offer, which is why independent testing would be welcome. The socks were produced with a large-scale Italian sock manufacturer and cost around 30 pounds. Knit construction also tends to sit more securely inside a shoe than lycra, which can slide around.

Aero socks remain a low-cost way to test whether a marginal gain is worth chasing, and plenty of aerodynamicists treat them as a fixture of a race setup rather than an afterthought. For riders already spending on wheels and helmets, they are an inexpensive addition to the same theme.

Specialized Power Pro: Mirror Padding and a Recycled Carbon Base

Specialized has brought its Mirror 3D printed honeycomb structure to a new, lower price point with the Power Pro. It comes in 143 and 155 widths and costs 290 to 325 pounds, against 390 pounds for the S-Works version. The 155 size weighs 250 grams, roughly 60 grams more than the S-Works equivalent.

The bigger story is the base. This is the first Specialized saddle built with an entirely recycled carbon fibre base. The process takes scraps from factory production and combines them with nylon to create a composite that can then be moulded into any shape.

Mirror padding is 3D printed by a third-party manufacturer in the United States. Because the structure is printed rather than assembled from blocks of foam, padding depth can be varied gradually across the saddle, which opens the door to pressure mapping and more individually tailored shapes over time.

Classified Hub: Single Chainring Without the Dropped Chain Risk

Classified’s hub has now appeared on pro bikes, with the Uno-X team using it at the Tour of Hungary. It is the first time the system has been seen under professional riders, and it marks a shift in how teams view it. The appeal is straightforward: it removes any realistic chance of a dropped chain, brings the aero advantages of a single chainring setup, and reduces overall weight. Uno-X mechanics laced the hubs into the team’s DT Swiss rims.

There is a trade-off. The hub works by reducing gearing by 31 per cent to create an easier ratio, effectively an inner ring. If a rider punctures and has to rely on neutral service, that rider would be stuck in the big ring without the matching control. The team appears willing to accept the risk, and confidence in tubeless setup is part of how they manage it.

For riders outside the pro ranks, the system is most interesting for anyone already committed to a single chainring drivetrain and looking for a wider usable gear range without adding a front derailleur.

Specialized S-Works Torch: A Wider Flagship Road Shoe

The S-Works Torch is Specialized’s new flagship road shoe, replacing the S-Works 7 and moving the top of the range away from numbered names. The Torch name was previously used further down the line, and the plan is for buyers of those models to benefit from trickle-down technology as the range consolidates.

Fit is the headline change. The Torch range was always wider than the S-Works 7, and the S-Works models have now been widened as well. The shoe uses two BOA dials and drops the velcro strap entirely. The heel cup is asymmetric, offering more support on the inside and cut away on the outside. Zonal reinforcement around the midfoot holds the foot while leaving more room in the toe box, and the upper material is softer and more malleable, so less break-in is needed.

Pricing is 385 pounds or 450 dollars. Feedback on the fit has been mixed: the extra toe box room suits some riders, while others miss the more planted feel of the previous generation.

Shimano Ultegra: The Groupset That Makes Dura-Ace Hard to Justify

The new Ultegra moves to 12 speed and, on disc brake builds, is semi-wireless: the shifters and rear derailleur communicate wirelessly, while the rear derailleur connects to the front derailleur by wire to the battery. The rim brake version is fully wired but still 12 speed.

Hyperglide+ technology carried over from the mountain bike range makes shifts between sprockets remarkably smooth and quick. The practical differences against Dura-Ace come down to weight and price. Ultegra adds around 400 grams, a little over half a bottle of water, and costs more than 1,000 pounds less than a like-for-like Dura-Ace groupset.

The brakes are the quiet standout. XTR rotors are used for better cooling, and a servo mechanism gives fine feathering early in the lever stroke before stronger power arrives deeper in the travel, with no fade under hard use. Until 105 Di2 arrives, this is the most compelling groupset on the market, and it serves almost everyone who would otherwise buy Dura-Ace.

Garmin Varia Rear Light and Camera: Radar Plus Footage

This rear unit combines two jobs. A built-in 1080 camera records at 30 frames per second, capturing enough detail to read number plates. Automatic instant capture means it records before, during and after an incident rather than only from the moment of impact.

It is waterproof to one metre for 30 minutes, so rain is not a concern. The unit is controlled through the Varia app, and footage can be sent directly to the app, which makes getting files onto a computer straightforward. It also keeps the radar function that warns of vehicles approaching from behind.

Pinarello Grevil F: A Gravel Race Bike With Room for 50c Tyres

The Grevil F is built for fast gravel rather than loaded bikepacking. Tyre clearance has grown to 50c on 700c wheels, up about 5mm from the previous 700 by 45 maximum, and with 650b wheels it will take 2.1 inch tyres.

The frame uses flat-faced tubes, a fully integrated cockpit and an aero seatpost. Against the previous model it is four per cent more aerodynamically efficient and the bottom bracket is eight per cent stiffer, which should be the most tangible gain on steep off-road pitches. The fork is lighter and designed to reduce vibration.

Both builds use Campagnolo Ekar single ring groupsets, and a braze-on mount allows fitting Shimano GRX or another front derailleur if you prefer. The difference between the two builds is the wheels: Princeton wheels on one, Fulcrum Rapid Reds on the other at a penalty of about 300 grams. Complete builds come in at 8.55kg with the Princetons and 8.85kg with the Fulcrums. Sizes run from 47cm to 60cm, with geometry tuned so ride feel stays consistent across the range.

Campagnolo Ekar: 13-Speed Mechanical With Tight Tolerances

Campagnolo Ekar is the 13-speed mechanical gravel groupset fitted to both Grevil F builds, and it has earned a strong reputation. The extra sprocket delivers a wide range from a single chainring, and the hood shape is genuinely comfortable under the hand.

The caveat is adjustment. Thirteen speed tolerances are tight, and on a mechanical groupset cable tension is the lifeblood of the system. If tension drifts even slightly, shifting suffers. Dialled in correctly, it performs very well, but it rewards riders who keep an eye on their setup rather than those who set and forget.

Buying Advice

Start with the riding you actually do. If you spend most of your time on open roads in wind, a shallower front rim and a deeper rear is the shape that makes sense, which is exactly the logic behind the ENVE range. If you race time trials, a disc wheel is the more targeted purchase, and it is worth waiting for independent data before choosing between brands.

Saddles and shoes are personal in a way wheels and groupsets are not. The Power Pro brings printed padding to a lower price and a recycled base, but width and shape matter more than the material story. The S-Works Torch is wider than before, which will be a genuine improvement for some riders and a compromise for others.

On drivetrains, the value case is clearest. Ultegra now delivers shifting and braking close to Dura-Ace, and the money saved can go towards wheels or other upgrades. Campagnolo Ekar is the alternative for riders who want 13 speeds and mechanical shifting, provided they are happy to look after cable tension.

If you are adding safety gear, the Garmin Varia unit covers radar awareness and video evidence in a single item, which is a straightforward proposition for anyone commuting or riding on busy roads.

Conclusion

The strongest products here are the ones with a clear job: a wheelset family that covers different depths and wind conditions, a saddle that lowers the entry point for printed padding, a shoe that finally addresses fit, and a groupset that delivers most of a flagship experience for considerably less. Match the product to your riding and the value is easy to see.