2023 April Foolery in the Bike Industry

We were a little bummed that the bicycle industry’s favorite holiday fell on a Saturday this year. It’s always fun to see what folks come up with, and we were worried it would land a little flat on the weekend. So far, it’s not as lively as last year or the year before—see links in the related grid below—but a few brands managed to pull something together. We’ve gathered a few April Fools’ announcements from around the web, including some exciting new products from Wizard Works, Nobl, Velo Orange, and more. We’ll update this list if we see more happen throughout the day. And if you stumble upon a good one, please let us know in the conversation below.

Wizard Works Snack Dashboard

Are difficult-to-access snacks ruining your ride? Are your friends tired of stopping every time you feel like hummus? The all-new Wizard Works Snack Dashboard comes to the rescue. The Snack Dashboard is made from heavy-duty 1000D Cordura and is available in five colors. Snack Dashboard attaches with Voile Nano Straps for maximum snack security. And unlike traditional cycling-specific handlebar mounted snacking stations, Snack Dashboard is super easy to assemble and compatible with any bike. Watch the reel here.

Novl (formerly Nobl) Releases Oval Wheels

From the makers of helium-filled wheels, Noble has changed the game yet again after recognizing that bike geometry had reached a plateau in recent years. According to sources, the company leadership team traveled to MOAB in the fall and spent three days “sensory-deprivation vision boarding” without food or water. The result was a cohesive realization that the future of mountain biking is oval. The company is now rebranding to NOVL Wheels, effective immediately, and launching the flagship Oval wheels. Watch below.

Starling Cycles Becomes Puffin Pedalers

UK-based Starling Cycles just rebranded to Puffin Pedalers because, well, their new cast single pivot junction looks like a Puffin. “Single pivot, steel and honest. No motors, no batteries, just you and the mountain, puffin your way to the summit.” Watch their launch video below.

Wheels Manufacturing Bicycle Cockpit Taco Caddy

Introducing the ultimate accessory for taco-loving cyclists: the Bicycle Cockpit Taco Caddy! This revolutionary new product is the perfect way to transport and protect your tacos while on the go. The Bicycle Cockpit Taco Caddy is made from durable plastic and designed to securely hold two tacos on any kind of terrain. The Bicycle Cockpit Taco Caddy also comes with two silicone taco savers and a jalapeño holder. Details are in the video below.

Rene Herse Nivex Automatic Transmission

Using AI and advanced GPS metrics, Rene Herse has cracked into the electronic shifting market with an all-new GPS-automated drivetrain. The new Nivex automatic transmission consists of a specially designed GPS unit that also controls the derailleurs. The system interfaces with the power meter to detect whether a rider is attacking or taking it easy, whether they are feeling good or fatigued. This data is correlated with the terrain is uphill or downhill or whether the rider is on a Strava segment to select the optimum gear for each situation.

The Nivex system is designed to be open-source and work with electronic drivetrains already on the market from SRAM and Shimano, as well as future electronic drivetrains. Other integrations are already in the works with this system, too. Rene Herse is working on a dropper seatpost that uses GPS data to automatically lower the saddle when the rider approaches a steep downhill. “Once the rider is freed from operating shift levers, there’s no reason why they should manually control their dropper post,” explained Jan Heine, head of R&D at Rene Herse Cycles. There’s a lot to digest, so dig in over at Reneherse.com.

Trailforks Trailtinder

Singletrack feeling a little too single these days? Trailtinder is a new app from Trailforks that allows you to swipe, save, or reject trails. More here.

2023 Velo Orange MiniminiVelo

Following the success of their Neutrino minivelo, Velo Orange has taken the concept a step further with the release of the all-new Velo Orange MiniminiVelo, a bike with a small stature but some big improvements over existing travel bikes. Designed to fit in your carry-on luggage, reducing fees and ensuring your bike arrives at your final destination, the MiniminVelo sports a beautiful Metallic Plum paint, a VO headbadge, a lovely wishbone chainstay bridge, and generous clearance for 15mm tires. Details over at Velo Orange.

Revel Bikes UDEH

Revel introduced the Universal Dead Ebike Hauler, furthering the utility of SRAM’s UDH standard. More here.

Ratio OverOversize Cage

Ratio Technology wondered whether their cages were efficient enough. With the new Ratio OverOversize Cage, featuring a sensibly-sized 24-tooth lower jockey, “you can sleep easy knowing you’ve saved at least 0.1 W.” All Ratio’s testers immediately confirmed the difference was totally obvious.

76 Projects MAG LEV top tube bags

After 2020’s award winning A.S.S. (Anti Strap System) 76 Projects wanted to go one step further. For 2023, they collaborated with NASA and CERN to eliminate fixing points all together. The MAG LEV uses an array of 10423 very rare earth neobullshitium magnets to hold the bag at exacty 5.256478mm from your top tube. For easy removal just switch off the electromagnetic* field.

Appleman 172.8mm Cranks

Being neither 175 nor 165, Appleman’s new 172.8mm crank length hits a sweet spot for ALL riders that until now, has been completely untapped by the cycling industry. The company promises the 0.3mm fraction of a millimeter will revolutionize the industry. “With our research collaboration with the Institute of the Arbitrarium, we’ve developed a number so odd, so completely random that it doesn’t even split the difference.”

Seen any more good April fools’ stunts from bike or outdoor companies? Leave them in the conversation below…

Related Content

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...

Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.