Aero wheels from Easton and DT swiss, CamelBak's bikepacking range and Mondraker's Gulf-inspired NEAT

This week's top tech news.

Liam Mercer

Jun 1 2024

This week's tech news took on a gravel theme with not one but two sets of new gravel-specific aero wheelsets coming to market alongside CamelBak's expansion into the bikepacking realm. That doesn't mean there hasn't been any cool mountain bike news though, as Mondraker unveiled a pretty motorsport-inspired colourway on its NEAT lightweight e-MTB.

Easton released its EC90 ALX aero gravel wheels

With such a heavy influence from road cycling and gravel racing becoming increasingly popular, it's no surprise that aerodynamic considerations are being applied to gravel. However, with its EC90 ALX wheelset, Easton is doing things a little differently.

Rather than going all-out and building gravel wheels with super deep rims, the brand has aimed to balance aerodynamic gains with comfort and stability remaining comparatively reserved on the rim depth front. Of course, the best gravel wheels will suffer from incredibly vibration transmission if built to be stiff, a side effect of deep rims.

With inspiration derived from road technologies in the rims, the EC90 ALX's hubs take from Easton's mountain bike expertise to boost durability and help the wheels survive through the harsher conditions of gravel riding.

Easton's EC90 ALX gravel wheels get the aero treatment

DT Swiss released two aero gravel wheelsets

Beating Easton to the punch by a couple of hours was DT Swiss. The company announced its gravel-specific wheelset designed with aerodynamics in mind. DT Swiss's DICUT 1100 and 1400 are built to complement the efficiency of aero-shaped bike frames.

Both wheelsets are designed to accommodate tyres up to 40mm in width via hooked beads, taking advantage of a hooked bead's stability under high-speed cornering, while adding to the aerodynamic benefit.

These wheels are then built using a new production process that DT claims results in a better finish straight out of the mould. Available in 700c and 650b these wheels are set to bring aero gains to almost any gravel bike.

DT Swiss develops new GRC DICUT 1100 and 1400 carbon wheels for gravel riders who value a hooked tyre interface.

CamelBak now offers bikepacking gear

It was just a matter of time before the brand best known for pioneering hands-free hydration turned its attention towards bikepacking. The new range comprises five new bags, all of which use reflective details, water-resistant pockets and compression straps to boost cargo capacity.

Available in three and 4.5-litre variants, the M.U.L.E frame pack offers space for both storage and CamelBak's new Quick Stow two-litre bike reservoir. Adding to the range is a 12-litre handlebar bag that's equipped with an aluminium support to provide rigidity to the bag, and support.

There are also two saddle bags which are sorted with an anti-sway design.

CamelBak shifts focus to bikepacking with the new on-bike M.U.L.E. pack system

Mondraker unveiled its Gulf-inspired NEAT colourway

The classic arrangement of orange and blue is synonymous with racing, coating Ford's Le Mans-winning GT40 and Mirage race cars, including McLaren's 2021 F1 competitor during that year's Monaco Grand Prix. The NEAT Unlimited Edition's build is equally blingy with top-end Fox suspension, SRAM's XX Eagle AXS T-Type drivetrain and Code Ultimate Stealth brakes.

This special edition of the NEAT is a hand-painted collector's bike with a certificate of authenticity. It also comes with colour-matched touch-up pens for any scratches.

Mondraker's NEAT e-MTB gets motorsport colourway inspired by the Porche 917K's Gulf livery.

Kona bicycles has been bought by its original owners

News of Kona's reacquisition by its original owners may not be the most tech-forward news but, as soon as we heard, we all breathed a sigh of relief as the brand's future seemed very uncertain as it pulled out of Sea Otter at the last minute.

In this piece, Steve Thomas dives into the history of the whacky and radical brand known for bikes such as the Poo and the famous Stinky. He also caught up with Kona-sponsored riders Corey Wallace and Tracey Moseley to get their opinions on the good news.

Back from beyond the cinder cone, Kona re-purchased by original founders.

Watch how Tailfin creates its Frame Bag

In this video, Tailfin's team take you behind the scenes of its well-reviewed Frame Bag. While, at first glance, it might seem quite a simple task, there's an awful lot that goes on including a rigorous heat-mapping process and crazy-looking bike testing jig. That's before real-world testing, too.

Video: Maverick by necessity - How Tailfin designed its Frame Bag

Author block

Liam Mercer

Since beginning his mountain biking career while working as a resort photographer in Greece in 2014, Liam became a freelance contributor at off.road.cc in 2019. From there, he’s climbed the journalism job ladder from staff writer to deputy technical editor, now finding his place as technical editor.

Partial to the odd enduro race, heart rate-raising efforts on slim-tyred cross-country bikes, hell-for-leather e-MTB blasts or even casual gravel jaunts, there’s not a corner of off-road cycling where Liam fears to tread. With more than 40 bike reviews under his belt and hundreds more on MTB, e-MTB and gravel parts and accessories, Liam’s expertise continues to be cemented and respected by the industry.