When Look introduced the first clipless pedal in 1984 it was quite the revolution. With toe straps the norm for racing cyclists for many years, there were plenty of skeptics of course. But then Bernard Hinault won the Tour de France the following year riding a pair of Look’s new pedals. When Greg Lemond repeated the feat in 1986 the tide had turned for good. Forty years later it’s the turn of another French brand, Ekoi, to attempt to breathe new life into the humble pedal, in the shape of its large platform PW8 system.
And the innovation doesn’t stop there. Vision has released its first all-carbon wheelset while MAAP has announced its first entirely new jersey and bib shorts for quite some time. And then there’s the Tarmac SL8. While it’s not a new bike it's now available in four team colourways for the 2025 season.
Ekoi PW8 pedals and shoes
Ekoi has launched its PW8 pedal-shoe system, described by the Fréjus-based brand as “a revolutionary concept designed to deliver unmatched performance in terms of efficiency, lightness, aerodynamics, and comfort.”
The innovation, which apparently has had input from legends such as as Philippe Gilbert, Nicolas Roche, Claudio Chiappucci, and Michele Bartoli, sees the axle-to-sole distance, or stack height, reduced to a mere 8mm, while the contact surface is a claimed 1500mm², more than the twice the area of many rival pedals. The result Ekoi says is “optimal power transfer” with reduced “dead spots during pedalling”.
Claimed weight for the pedals is 105g, which feature a carbon composite body and chromoly axle. The cleats, offered in 0°-1.5° or 3°-6° of movement, weigh an additional 15g per pair.
The pedals are designed in conjunction with the PW8 C12 Pro Full Carbon shoe, that features vertical and lateral cleat adjustment and Michelin® rubber studs for improved grip . Combined Ekoi says they result in an 11% reduction in drag, although it doesn’t say which model of pedal was used for comparison.
Pedals and shoes are available as a kit directly from Ekoi for £600.40.
Vision Metron RS wheels
Vision has added a new wheel to its Metron lineup, the Racing Series or RS.
It’s the brand’s first all-carbon affair, with the handbuilt tubeless-ready wheels featuring both a new rim and hub design alongside the carbon spokes.
The hooked rims, offered in 60mm and 45mm depths, have a 23mm internal measurement. Like many racing wheelsets today they have been optimised around a 28mm tyre. As for the P.R.S hubs, they feature a lighter freehub, ceramic bearings and a floating 72t ratchet - all serviceable without tools.
By using carbon spokes instead of steel Vision has saved over 100g per wheel. Laced in 2:1 pattern, the bladed spokes are said to improve torsional stiffness, resulting in faster acceleration. With an ‘in-mould’ finished spoke hole, Vision says it has increased the contact surface between the rim and the nipple while also improving strength and durability compared to a drilled hole.
The claimed weights for the RS 60 and RS 45 wheels are 1,390g and 1,290g respectively, while the prices range from $2,899 / £3,109 for the 45mm wheels and $2,999 / £3,179 for the 60mm depth.
Tarmac SL8 team colours
The most ridden bike in the pro peloton remains Specialized’s S-Works Tarmac SL8, courtesy of the US brand supplying no fewer than four teams across both the men’s and women’s WorldTour. And now you can ride the same frameset as the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, Soudal - Quick-Step SD Worx - Protime, and FDJ - Suez squads, thanks to the general release of all four of the 2025 colourways.
Each design is said to reflect the team’s ethos; FDJ-Suez’s ‘Convergence’ graphics are inspired by the team’s French roots and their “belief that they are stronger together”, while Soudal - Quick-Step’s ‘Make the Break,’ colours, described as a pearl dark navy base with white brush strokes and featuring the team’s ‘Wolfpack’ logo on the top tube, presumably symbolize the team’s intention to, well, make the break. You get the picture. And even if the meanings are a little abstract, it’s hard to argue with the finished products from a purely visual standpoint.
The framesets are priced at £5000.
MAAP Aeon collection
While the Aussie brand has proved pretty adept at prolonging the life of its clothing designs by refreshing colour palettes, it’s seemingly been a while since it released something entirely new. But now it has, in the form of its Aeon collection.
The range, designed for long, hard days in the saddle, consists of both a long and short sleeved jersey and a pair of bib shorts. Reading the marketing blurb, it sounds like MAAP are hoping to achieve garments that are unobtrusive, using form-fitting silhouettes alongside fabrics that are both light, soft and breathable.
Polartec’s Delta fabric with its 3D knit structure is used to increase airflow in the jerseys, with the material designed to lift away from the skin. For increased comfort MAAP has opted for a seamless front hem and a low-profile collar design, which is said to reduce the likelihood of any irritation.
The Aeon bibs feature MAAP’s proprietary 3D Thermo Moulded chamois that uses a higher-destiny of foam for better shock absorption and support over long distances; the chamois was used in the Alt_Road bibs but makes its debut here for a purely road application. As for the main fabric used, MAAP describes it as “buttery-smooth” to the touch with a 4-way compression stretch.
Prices are £170 / $230 for the short sleeved Aeon jersey and £190 / $260 for the long sleeve version, while the Aeon bibs are £240 / $315.
