Plus a trackable luggage tag from Knog, new Madison clothing and much more
Madison distributes big-name brands such as Shimano, Park Tool and Vittoria in the UK, so the company’s trade show, iceBike, always has lots of interesting tech on display.
For 2024, that includes Shimano’s ‘Olympic’ line of S-Phyre shoes ready for this summer’s Olympic Games, as well as a Gatorskin tyre competitor from Vittoria, a travel tag from Knog, new Madison clothing and bikepacking bottles cages.
Let’s dive into all that – and more tech highlights from the show.
Olympic S-Phyre shoes on show for the first time
Shimano’s new range of S-Phyre cycling shoes was on public display for the first time since they debuted in December.
The range comprises an upgraded RC903 road shoe, an XC903 mountain bike shoe and an all-new S-Phyre-level triathlon shoe
The S-Phyre RC903PWR is a specialist super-stiff shoe designed to provide the most secure and firm pedalling platform possible, according to Shimano.
The XC903 borrows heavily from the RC903, with updated Boa lacing and new perforated uppers to increase ventilation.
The TR903 is the first triathlon shoe to bear the S-Phyre name.
The upper Boa dial is ditched in favour of a Velcro strap for speedy tri transitions. They’re slightly less stiff than the road-going RC903, scoring 10/12 on Shimano’s stiffness scale.
Vittoria to release Continental Gatorskin competitor
Madison is teasing the new Vittoria RideArmor ahead of its official launch later this week.
The road bike tyre is best thought of as Vittoria’s answer to the Continental Gatorskin.
The hard-wearing tyre has puncture protection running from bead to bead. The tubeless version pictured uses a 100 TPI nylon casing.
The tyre is available in four sizes from 700x26mm to 700x32mm. It costs £59.99.
Vittoria’s Air-Liner Protect insert is oh so wide
iceBike was also our first chance to lay eyes on Vittoria’s new Air-Liner Protect mountain bike tyre insert.
The new T-shaped inserts slot inside the well of the rim, with the ‘wings’ sitting proud of the rim.
The insert is claimed to improve impact resistance without significantly interfering with the ride quality of the tyre.
Knog adds AirTag-like luggage tracker to range
Predominantly known for its range of quirky bike lights, Australian brand Knog has a new travel tag.
The Knog Scout travel tag is similar to an Apple Air Tag and can be attached to your luggage, bike bag or even bike to track their location.
The tag is compatible with the Apple Find My… app, with Android compatibility said to be coming soon.
Hands-on with the Lazer Z1 Kineticore helmet
The new Kineticore Z1 is Lazer’s new featherweight road bike helmet.
Lazer has cut the weight of the helmet compared to the outgoing Z1 by, in part, moving to the brand’s multi-rotational impact protection system Kineticore. This is built into the helmet’s body.
Alongside the claimed reduction in weight, Kineticore is said to help use less plastic in its construction.
Unlike Lazer’s other high-end road helmets, which have a large dial on the back for adjustment, the new Z1 has a smaller dial to fine-tune the fit.
The Z1 helmet is compatible with Lazer’s clip-on aero shell and has a mounting point for Lazer’s LED helmet light on the rear.
The helmet costs £229.99.
Madison expands new clothing range into road and gravel
At last year’s iceBike, Madison revealed its new line of mountain bike clothing.
This year, it revealed new road bike clothing, including the Flux cycling jersey and bib shorts.
The kit emphasises affordability with the jersey costing £40 and the bib shorts costing £80.
Affordability appears not to have come at the cost of the quality, however.
In the hand, the jersey and bib short fabric feels appealingly thick.
Elsewhere, a new gilet uses Primaloft fabric for insulation on the front and has pockets on the hips for easy access – or for stuffing used gel wrappers.
The kit is part of Madison’s drive to get more people on bikes and in appealing clothing, the company says.
“Just because you can’t buy high-end doesn’t mean you can’t have something nice,” says Liam Curtis, one of Madison’s designers.
Madison says it is also prioritising sustainability and has instigated a zero-waste policy with its clothing.
The company is now working with a UK-based repair company to repair the kit.
Madison will also send factory defaults to the company, which will then break them down into constituent parts – such as zips – to be salvaged as spares.
Finally, the company is using excess material from unrepairable kit to make accessories such as caps and handlebar bags.
Park Tool’s BRK-1 tool kit has (almost) everything a travelling mechanic could ever need
Among a variety of new tools from Park Tool at iceBike was this $2,000 tool kit.
The BRK-1 tool kit offers a “curated” selection of tools, according to Park Tool, which should have you covered for almost any repair.
Park Tool says the kit is aimed at people heading to events and fixing bikes remotely.
It contains 100 tools and comes in a hard case with wheels.
Bikepacking-friendly bottle cages from Elite
Elite had two new bottle cages on display, aimed at gravel riding and mountain biking.
The Struka can fit bottles from 66mm to 80mm in diameter. It has a Fitgo ratchet dial to hold a bottle tightly in the cage over the type of rough terrain that could send a bidon AWOL.
Like some Boa dials, the Fitgo tightens with clicks in one direction and then the tension is released in one go by turning it the other way.
The Ambo is a side-loading bottle cage which has a reversible design, meaning you can mount a bottle from the right or left.
You can also adjust the position of the bottle cage laterally and vertically.
Elite says this is ideal for bikepacking, where space may be taken up by frame bags.
Universal Rx inserts for Madison performance sunnies
Madison’s range of cycling glasses is available with optional prescription (RX) inserts. These cost £5 each and are compatible with the brand’s complete range of performance models.
The inserts are said to use a standard frame shape, which means almost any local optician should be able to create lenses to suit you.
Madison launches new finishing kit brand
Amplitude is Madison’s newest house brand, focussed on finishing kit, wheels and, soon, forks.
Initially specced on Madison’s in-house bike brands, Genesis, Saracen and Ridgeback, the range will also be available to buy aftermarket.
The G100 gravel bike wheelset stands out, on paper, as a value upgrade option versus basic wheels, with a 26mm wide (internal) tubeless rim, thru-axle and QR end caps, tubeless tape and valves. It’s priced at £499.98.