00:00 – Unreleased Tech at the 2025 Tour de France: New Bikes, Helmets, and More!
08:02 – Riding with Le Tour de France 2025
13:13 – Why the Trek Madone SLR is the Ultimate Tour de France Replica Bike
1. Unreleased Tech at the 2025 Tour de France: New Bikes, Helmets, and More!
The 2025 Tour de France is not just about the yellow jersey; it’s also a showcase for the latest cycling technology. Brands are quietly unveiling tomorrow’s gear, and we’ve spotted some exciting unreleased tech. From new aero tires and drivetrain refinements to cutting-edge helmets, bikes, and wheels, this year’s Tour is a tech arms race. Here’s a rundown of what we’ve seen so far:
The Merida Reacto has undergone significant changes with a narrower and deeper head tube, reshaped fork blades, and aerodynamic enhancements. The Cervélo R5 has also been updated with a weight-loss program, featuring thinner seat stays and a reprofiled fork. Helmets from Giro, Ekoi, and Sweet Protection are making their debut, with Giro’s helmet being particularly notable for its MIPS Spherical system and Kamm tail-style back end.
Visma-Lease a Bike is sporting new apparel from Nimbl, which includes modern touches like aero ribbing on the sleeves. The Cervélo S5, BMC Teammachine SLR01, and Enve SES 4.5 Pro wheels are among the already released tech that’s making waves. Specialized’s Roval Rapide road wheel lineup and Continental’s Archetype tires are also noteworthy additions.
Join us as we dive into the latest tech trends and innovations from the 2025 Tour de France. Stay tuned for more updates and in-depth reviews!
2. Riding with Le Tour de France 2025
Get ready for the ultimate cycling experience as we follow Le Tour de France 2025.
Join me as I share my passion for the Tour de France and the beautiful French scenery.
From the streets of Amiens to the Yorkshire countryside, we’ll explore the best of France and the world of cycling.
With behind-the-scenes stories and delicious French recipes, you won’t want to miss this journey.
So, let’s get on our bikes and ride with Le Tour de France 2025!
3. Why the Trek Madone SLR is the Ultimate Tour de France Replica Bike
Discover why the Trek Madone SLR stands out as the best replica bike from the 2025 Tour de France. In this video, we delve into what makes it a top choice for enthusiasts and professional riders alike. Learn about its superior comfort with SRAM Red AXS groupset, customizable specs, and lifetime warranties on frames and wheels. We’ll also explore its aerodynamic design, all-around performance, and the unique Project One customization options that let you pick your dream paint scheme. Whether you’re a seasoned racer or a cycling enthusiast, find out why this bike could be your next big investment. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more in-depth cycling tech reviews!
Unreleased tech at the 2025 Tour to France, new bikes, helmets, and more. Imagine the thrill of the world’s most prestigious cycling race, the Tour to France, where athletes chase the coveted yellow jersey. But there’s more to this event than meets the eye. It’s also a stage for brands to subtly unveil their latest tech innovations right under the noses of millions of spectators. In 2025, the tech arms race at the Tour to France is more intense than ever. Alongside cuttingedge aero tires and the latest drivetrain advancements, we’ve spotted a wave of unreleased tech from helmets and bikes to wheels that could shape the future of prop pelletin gear for years to come. A new Servo R5 has made a quiet appearance. Meriditor’s Reacto has a striking new look and reserve’s first carbon spoke wheels have surfaced on bikes from Vizmer Lisa Bike. Here’s what we’ve seen so far. An updated unreleased Merida Reacto. The fourth generation Merida Reacto has been a favorite for years, known for its well-priced frame set and sharp performance, but now Bahrain Victorious is racing on a new unannounced version at the Tour. Merida hasn’t said a word publicly, but the changes are obvious. A narrower and deeper head tube, reshaped fork blades, and the addition of flow guiding veins along the top and down tube junctions suggest a serious aerodynamic rethink. Furthermore, the seat tube area seems to ditch the forward-mounted seat post wedge. The Reacto Aero bike was last launched all the way back in 2020, and a 5-year product cycle means the Reacto is ripe for an update. Unreleased Arrow Road helmets are taking over the tour. Before a single pedal stroke was turned in, liil, new Aero helmets started appearing everywhere. Gyro, Ecoy, and Sweet Protection have all brought new lids to the 2025 Tour. The Gyro helmet seems to be the most interesting, which most of the Vizmissa bike team have been aboard for the tour. We don’t know much about the wheel set, but from the looks of it, it looks like a Specialized S Works Evade helmet up front, a gyro Eclipse helmet from the side, and a POC helmet out back. From the side, it appears to hold onto Gyro’s MIP spherical system that places the helmet into two layers of foam. Outback is the most dramatic change, adopting a sort of cutoff comptail style back end similar to a POC helmet. The AOY helmet and sweet protection helmets frankly look fairly similar to one another, and those two look even more similar to the Specialized S Works Evade helmet. Think wider side vents, a tapered rear third of the helmet, and minimal ventilation everywhere. PC also has a new helmet, which it calls the Cital Light. The Cital Light helmet looks fairly similar to the Cital helmet, but it’s far more ventilated and according to POC, a whole lot lighter. POC claims a sub 200 g weight, size medium, CE standard. We have more details on both the sweet protection helmet and gyro arrow helmet up now. While all of these helmets are sure to be ready, we suspect the gyro helmet will be the first to come out. Vismalisa bike is wearing unreleased Nimble apparel. Shoddy Dave spent a moment with Vizmissa Bike shoe sponsor Nimble and found out the brand has expanded past purely being a shoe company to supplying apparel for Vizmissa bikes teams. There isn’t much we know about the new kits here, unfortunately. You can see modern touches like arrow ribbing on the sleeves, but that’s about it so far. We do expect it to cost quite a bit of cash, much like Nimble’s shoes currently, as well as all of the teams riders to use the kits. A new Servo R5. The R5 was the last bike we expected to see get an update at the tour, especially amid all the talk around Serow’s S5, but here it is. First used under everyone’s noses at the Dorphine last month, the new Servo R5 has undergone a toptobottom weight loss program, the frame features thinner seat stays, a reprofiled fork, and a minimalist integrated cockpit. The brake caliper mounts have also changed with direct through bolts to shave precious grams. Serve says the redesign brings the R5 down to within grams of the UCI’s 6.8 kg weight minimum without any corner cutting. That makes it a serious tool for the mountains in week two and one of the lightest race bikes in the bunch. Shoddy Dave got his hands on the new Servo R5 on video to learn more about the bike. What’s already been released? Perhaps the most obvious release is the new Servo S5, the brand’s Aero bike. We’ve kept tabs on the bike for months, but we even got our hands on one for review. While it looks like a small update compared to its prior generations, the bike cuts 124 g over the previous generation bike and is a claimed 6.3 watts faster than the outgoing bike. The BMC T- Machine SLR01 under the likes of Tudtor Pro Cycling has gone full weight weenie on US. Now on the fifth generation of this bike, BMC claims it is a full 16% lighter than the previous version, bringing total frame weight to just 700 g for a painted 54 cm bike. Alvin’s first ride review test bike weighed in at just 6.6 kg 14.6 lb without pedals. Though the bike shy Dave weighed came in at a somewhat surprising 7.1 kg, 15.7 lb with pedals, cages, and a computer. N has a new set of wheels optimized for 28 mm wide tires called the SCES4.5 Pro. They are seriously light, just 1,295 g for a 49 mm deep rim up front and a 55 mm rim out back. And they do it without carbon spokes. Somewhat surprisingly, however, they come with a hooked rim profile. M’s first in nearly a decade after fully committing to hookless. DTS Swiss has a new run of Arc 11-1400 wheels that are apparently faster in crosswinds than the outgoing wheels. They also get a 22 mm internal rim width up from 20 mm and some weight savings, too. They all receive DT Swiss venerable 180 EXP or 240 EXP hubs, weighing in at 1,471 g for the 55 mm deep arc 1100 diket wheels. That’s not all. Specialized in-house accessory brand Ruval has overhauled its Rapide road wheel lineup, going with a lower profile rim outback in an effort to cut weight without sacrificing aero efficiency. There are three wheel options, two of which use carbon spokes to weigh in at as little as 1,35 g. Find these under the likes of Red Bull Bora Hanssgrow and Sudal Quickstep at the tour this year. Also available to those teams is a new specialized power saddle with 3D printing. This new model called the S Works Power Evo with mirror gets the same 240 mm width as the current power with mirror, but the nose is 1 cm wider and Specialized says the material better distributes pressure along the material too. See our review for more details. Elsewhere, Continental has a new set of archetype tires developed in conjunction with UAE team Emirates XRG. Continental says it is its lightest 30 mm tire yet, cutting a substantial 35 g per tire. In our personal experience, it punctures more easily than just about any tire we’ve ridden in recent memory. It’s quite fast, though. But here’s where it gets controversial. Some argue that the focus on weight reduction might be compromising durability. What do you think? Is the quest for lighter gear worth the potential trade-offs? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Riding with Lour de France 2025. Get ready to hop on your bike for the exhilarating Ltor to France 2025. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment I became captivated by the tour to France. Each year, I eagerly hunt for the TV channel broadcasting this spectacular event, settling in with a map of France spread across my lap as I watch the cyclists speed through the stunning landscapes of Larbell, France. My French friends often chuckle at my enthusiasm, especially since I’m not a cyclist and have never owned a bike, unless you count the secondhand tricycle I had when I was about four. I simply shrug it off saying Sailor Pesage because it’s the breathtaking scenery and the thrill of the race that truly captivates me. Hash a journey to Amians. Imagine my excitement when my friend Franquaz who resides in Amians sent me a message saying Jet proposed Dia sister AU depart D1 a tape to tour to France. Of course, I was thrilled and immediately made plans to go. The race was set to begin in the heart of Amians with a depart fictive, meaning the cyclists would ride at a leisurely pace until they reached the city limits for the official start or leart reel. On July 8th, I found myself standing alongside Franquaz behind the barricades on Ru or Avenue Dar Republic and Rudu Merrell, eagerly watching Christian Prudome in the lead car, followed closely by the pelatin. What an unforgettable experience. JY ties # hash remminiscing about L grand depart 2014. This event brought back fond memories of my time as a tour maker during the lrand depart of the tour to France in Yorkshire back in 2014. We showcased the breathtaking scenery of Yorkshire to an audience of 3.5 billion viewers across 188 countries. For my tour maker team, I baked Grandma Abson’s delightful lemon sandwich cake adorned with decorations inspired by the tour to France. hashlemon sandwich cake recipe asterisk asterisk ingredients asterisk asterisk three eggs and their weight in each of butter castor sugar self-raising flour typically around 6 oz or 175g of each ingredient finely grated zest of one lemon one teaspoon baking powder milk to mix usually about 2 tbsps asterisk aster Isk instructions asterisk asterisk. One, preheat your oven to 180° C, mark 4, 350° F. Two, line the base of 220 cm, 8 in cake tins with non-stick baking or grease proof paper. Three, cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is pale and fluffy using a food mixer or processor if you prefer. Four, beat the eggs and add them gradually, incorporating a tablespoon of flour if the mixture begins to curdle. Five, sift the remaining flour and gently fold it into the mixture along with the lemon zest and enough milk to achieve a dropping consistency soft enough to fall from a spoon in a couple of seconds. Six, divide the batter between the two tins and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until the cakes start to pull away from the sides and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Seven. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Hash lemon buttercream filling. Asterisk asterisk Ingredients: asterisk asterisk. 2 oz 50g butter. 4 ounce 110g icing sugar plus extra for dusting. Four tbsps lemon curd. 2 tbsps about 1 flu per 25 ml milk. Finely grated zest of one lemon asterisk asterisk instructions asterisk asterisk. One, cream the butter and icing sugar together until smooth. Two, mix in the lemon curd and milk until well combined. Three, spread the mixture on top of one cake and place the other cake on top. Four, dust the top cake with icing sugar and sprinkle with lemon zest for a finishing touch. Hash hash. my connection to France. My ties to France trace back to the Yorkshire exchange when I was just 14 years old. This ambitious initiative involved hundreds of Yorkshire school children welcoming French pen pals into their homes for 3 weeks every July. The adventurous Yorkshire kids then embarked on a long journey by train and boat to liil where their French families were ready to show them around the Nord and Particle region. This experience marked my first taste of L cuisine Frances and the first time I rode a proper bike. It was here that my love for France blossomed and perhaps it was also the moment I became hooked on the excitement of Lour de France. For more about Grandma Abson’s life, her love for baking and her cherished recipes, you can explore her blog. Additionally, check out her Instagram at grandmabsons to see Merryill baking alongside her grandchildren. Why the Trek Mad 1 SLR is the ultimate tour to France replica bike. Imagine having the chance to ride the exact same machine as your Tour to France heroes, but with 23 stunning options. How would you ever choose just one? That’s the luxurious dilemma facing cycling enthusiasts right now. Here’s the shocker. After testing nearly all the Pro Palatans bikes, my ultimate pick isn’t the obvious favorite, and my reasons might ruffle some feathers. Buckle up as I reveal why one bike stands tall above these engineering marvels. Let’s start with a powerful truth. Cycling remains uniquely democratic. If you’ve got the budget, you can literally own the identical bike that champions ride in the Tour to France. 23 squads compete this year, each on distinct machines despite some shared brands. They are all phenomenal, blisteringly fast, and packed with innovation. Yet, if you swapped places with a pro racer, which team steed would you pick for your own garage? This isn’t just hypothetical fun. It’s a window into what truly matters in high performance cycling. I approached this like a detective. Having ridden most frames, wheels, drivetrains, and components used by these elite teams, I combined hands-on experience with personal racing needs. But here’s where it gets controversial. My choice hinged on two unexpected factors rather than pure speed or aerodynamics. Ready for the first curveball. The make or break feature for me wasn’t weight or stiffness. It was their humble brake hoods. Yes, really. When you’re grinding through a 6-hour ride, your hands live on those hoods. Comfort and control there are non-negotiable. SRAM Red AXS clinched this for me with its sublime ergonomics and intuitive lever design. Don’t get me wrong, Shimano’s front shifting remains technically superior and Campanolo’s new 13-speed dazzles with Italian flare, but for all they feel when exhausted SRM rules that narrowed my list to five SRM equipped teams, Little Trek, Trek Mad 1 SLR, Muvastar, Canyon Arode, Ultimate, Red Bull, Bora Hanssgrow, Specialized Tarmac SL8, Vismalise Aike, Servo S5, R5, and Tudtor Pro cycling BMCT machine. Now, brace for controversy. Point two, customization freedom. And this is the part most brands don’t want you to think about. If I’m dropping five figures on a dream machine, I refuse to accept cooker cutter specs. I need 160 mm cranks and 38 cm handlebars, not standard for my 54 cm frame. Shockingly, most top tier brands lock you into preset builds. Trex Project 1 program is the glorious exception, letting you tailor every component and cockpit dimension up front. No costly part swapping hassles later. This single factor eliminated every contender except Little Trex Mad One. But the Mad One isn’t just a winner by default. It’s a masterpiece. Let me geek out on why it dominates. asterisk asterisk all round brilliance asterisk asterisk Trek merged arrow and climbing bikes into one rocket. No more agonizing over which bike to ride. The Mad One excels everywhere. Lightweight yet stable, it slices wind like a Cartana while cradling you on rough roads. Asterisk asterisk paint Joy asterisk asterisk ditch boring black. The stock little trek blue, yellow, red scheme pops or go wild with project 1’s endless custom options. Bikes should radiate fun. Asterisk asterisk futurep proofing asterisk asterisk. The Shramm UDH draia hanger means easy replacements anywhere. T47 bottom brackets accept any crank. No compatibility nightmares. Asterisk asterisk lifetime armor asterisk asterisk TX carbon frame and airless RSL wheels carry lifetime warranties plus 2 years of accidental damage coverage. Peace of mind matters. asterisk asterisk cockpit sanity asterisk asterisk unlike torture device arrow bars that torque your wrists the MON’s rearward sweeping tops are palm friendly plus you can ditch the integrated bar later if needed flexibility rare in superb bikes now I can hear the objections bubbling but the servo S5 is faster in a straight line or Campanolo’s new 13-sp speed is art absolutely pick what sings to you maybe you’ll choose the movear canyon for its razor handling or the specialized tarmac for race day aggression. That’s the beauty of cycling. Passion overrules specs. So, here’s my challenge to you. Embrace for heated debates. Would you prioritize customization like I did, or is raw speed king? Is Sr’s hood comfort worth overlooking Shimano’s surgical shifting? Grab your pitchforks or applause. I want your real talk in the comments. What’s your dream tour to France bike and why?