New Bike Tech: The New Evade 4 is Coming in Hot with a Ton of Added Cooling

Welcome to Velo’s weekly tech roundup. We sift through the week’s industry news to bring you the standout gear, subtle component updates, and fresh accessories you actually need to know about. If it’s clever and it makes your ride better, you’ll find it here. Dive into all our new bike tech coverage here.

We are approaching summer. Good vibes and good rides, if you will, are about to be aplenty. Yet, for us here at Velo, May showers bring the busy season. For the last few months, we have been hustling around the globe, covering races, trade shows, and bike launches as the industry rushes to get its products out before summer comes to full bloom.

This week is no different, with several key releases from around the bike world catching my eye as I gear up to head to Kansas for a week covering Unbound Gravel. We will start with something that I have been riding myself for a few weeks.

The New Evade 4 Adds Breathability To Its Top-of-the-Class Aerodynamics 

I have an interesting relationship with Specialized accessories. I have consistently tried and failed to get along with the brand’s broad slate of shoes, yet I love the brand’s helmets. With the new Evade, that love has only deepened as the new Evade has brought a ton of breathability to the vaunted Specialized aerodynamic road helmet.

Officially, Specialized claims that the new Evade is 2.4% cooler than the previous model without sacrificing any aerodynamic gains. Anecdotally, it feels significant, even if that 2.4% figure seems small on paper. Even at the slow speeds of mountain biking here in Phoenix, Arizona, the helmet stays very cool, even compared to the Prevail, its hyper-breathable counterpart. At road speed, that cooling is even more pronounced with reconfigured vents offering a great deal more airflow to the front of the helmet that extends further back over the profile of my head.

Adding to the better ventilation are tweaks to the helmet’s fit that improve its standing as an all-day, everyday option. The tightening dial at the rear of the helmet is now done through a Boa Fit System that features the FS2, micro‑adjustable 360° wrap-around system that creates a precise, non-obtrusive fit.

Ultimately, the Evade 4 is more of an iteration than an evolution. The helmet still has the same general aesthetics, still has class-leading aerodynamics, and retains key safety features like Mips, it has just tweaked a few of the aspects that will make the Evade so much more livable. Oh, and it handles stowing sunglasses quite well. So it’s got that going for it, which is nice.

You can learn more about the Evade 4 at Specialized website.

Niner is Pausing Amidst the Challenges Caused By Overstock 

In less exciting news, legacy off-road brand Niner has announced it is pausing its operations due to challenges that have forced the brand to reevaluate how it can continue. The announcement came from United Bikes, the company that runs the brand, as it consolidates around Huffy and Batch, the other brands under its stewardship. Reports suggest the pause was caused by a large amount of excess stock, the discounting that followed, and the market-wide shift towards e-bikes in mountain biking.

“United Wheels is pausing operations for Niner while it evaluates and realigns the brand’s strategic direction,” United Wheels said in a statement to Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.  “This decision reflects a broader review of how United Wheels allocates focus and resources across its portfolio of brands.  We are taking disciplined, responsible steps to manage through it.

“Our priority is to support our dealers and riders while handling this transition professionally and thoughtfully.  This includes maintaining continuity where it matters most—service, warranty, and relationships—while aligning our operations to the realities of the market.”

Niner Bikes was founded in 2004 as a mountain bike brand based in Fort Collins, Colorado. This is not the first time that the brand has run into dire financial straits, having declared bankruptcy in 2017. United Wheels bought the brand at an auction in 2018 and has been the owner since, branching out into gravel bikes and e-bikes. In fact, Niner was at Sea Otter this year touting a new RIP e-9 e-bike.

The fate of that bike, and the full Niner catalog and brand IP, is now firmly up in the air as United Wheels reevaluates the potential for the brand to grow in the tumultuous climate the bike industry finds itself in. What we do know is that Niner will close its headquarters in Fort Collins, lay off or relocate its workforce, and that all existing inventory and parts have been sold to retailers, except for bikes and parts reserved for warranty and service needs.

Canyon Unveils an Aluminum Version of Its GRIZL Gravel Bike

Returning to new products, Canyon announced on Tuesday that it has a newly refreshed version of its aluminum GRIZL gravel bike. The GRIZL AL has been a popular bike in Canyon’s lineup, with the bike offering a low-price entry point into gravel riding. Turn up at any gravel race, and the chances are you will see a GRIZL AL accompanying a rider who has recently taken an interest in the sport.

Nevertheless, even the entry point needs to keep up with the times. With the new GRIZL AL, Canyon has done exactly that, bringing modern expectations to the bike while simultaneously eliminating some of the downright annoying spec choices that hampered the bike’s longevity.

Of course, the number one update for the new GRIZL AL is tire clearance. The bike, which has been touted as a jack of all trades, is geared for gravel racing and bikepacking. With the update, the new GRIZL AL has a very generous tire clearance capacity for 54mm tires. The bike does still come stock with a set of 45mm tires, but Canyon has built in a massive amount of flexibility that allows the bike to be spruced up with large-volume tires.

Other updates include slashing 120 grams from its frame, adding more mounts for bags, racks, and fenders, and a swap to a T47 bottom bracket for easier upkeep and maintenance.

You can learn more about the bike here at Canyon’s website.

American Bicycle Group Joins Forces with the Challenged Athletes Foundation

Lastly, the American Bicycle Group, the company that owns the Litespeed, Quintana Roo, and Obed brands, is launching a new partnership with the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CFA)  to provide high-performance bikes to athletes with disabilities who compete in cycling. The program will offer special accommodations and discounted pricing on the company’s full suite of bikes for qualified CFA grant recipients.

“Every grant has a ripple effect,” Bob Babbitt, co-founder of CFA, said of the partnership. “A bike can help someone train for a race, join a group ride, explore a trail, reconnect with friends or simply feel like themselves again. That is why partnerships like this matter. Together with American Bicycle Group, we are creating more opportunities for athletes to move forward.”

The partnership revolves around providing high-performance bikes to disadvantaged athletes, but the collaboration will also help fundraise for the CFA and activate at events celebrating an expansive cycling landscape that welcomes athletes with disabilities.