New Bike Tech: Fashion Forward Tech from Cannondale and Gobik

This week, it is all about style. Fashion in addition to function, if you will, as we still wait for bigger releases to come. Yet, in the world of cycling, what is fashionable varies quite a lot. For some, it is the sleekness of modern sensibilities. For others, what is fashionable is the bolder looks of yesteryears.

Looking at what is new this week, both ends of the spectrum are accounted for in two interesting packages from very different brands. Nevertheless, both bring exciting aspects of fashion and function to the fore this summer.

Cannondale and Team Dream unveil limited runs of retro-styled CAAD14 bikes

Cannondale has a rad new CAAD14 in a new campaign that breathes some of Cannondale’s old aesthetic back into a modern bike. The brand has teamed up with Team Dream, a California-based cycling apparel company, to release a limited run of specialty-painted frames that marry Team Dream’s design language with Cannondale’s.

The designs use the CAAD14’s more traditional two-triangle frame and round tube shapes to their advantage, bringing a ’90s-esque bike to life with neon colors, lightning bolt motifs, and bold two-tone fades to make a pair of striking designs. The special-edition frame is the same refined aluminum construction as the standard CAAD14, with a frameset cost of $2,455 rather than the standard price of $1,799.

If you are interested, be warned that the frames have been limited to 100 frames worldwide. All of the online stock has already flown off the shelves, yet there are still a few frames sold through local bike shops or third-party vendors. You can find that on Cannondale’s website.

Now, here is Josh Ross again for something, erm, One Off…

Gobik new ‘The One Off’ collection of elevated looks in a high-performance kit

Last week I took up a moment of your time in the roundup, and this week I am back for the same reason: a new jersey. This time it’s a Gobik piece from a collection called The One Off.

Although the collection comes with a couple of pages of press info talking about “an unrestricted territory for experimentation,” the reality is a lot simpler than that. These are limited-edition pieces that only stick around until they sell out. There is no regular product cycle, and the prints lean toward a wilder, fashion-forward aesthetic.

You can decide if the print style works for you—though there is a simple gray option as well—but I am highlighting this piece because it is technically sound. The jersey features an aero fit designed for performance, complete with long sleeves, a low neckline, and a shoulder-cap pattern that underscores its purpose. What really impresses me, though, are the pockets.

There is always an inherent tension between a race-fit jersey and usable pockets. Often, the industry solution is to place the pockets so high up the back that you need a stretching routine just to reach your ride food. It keeps everything stable, but it isn’t a good solution. In the One Off collection, Gobik manages to keep the pockets stable while dropping them low enough to actually access on the fly. They are slightly smaller than average, but completely workable.

I wouldn’t feature a pure fashion play that lacks utility, but the performance matches the aesthetic here. You can decide if you buy into the concept from there. For more information, visit the dedicated site for The One Off. – Josh Ross