Link batch #16

The fastest socks ever!

Sockeloen claims to have invented the aero sock—one of the, if not the most revolutionary aero upgrades of the cycling industry in the past few years. They have now developed the fastest aero sock on the market and we are very excited too be working with them on an Oak x Sockeloen Fastest Sock On The Planet colab so… Stay tuned!

New best carb mix?

Our friends at Edge just released their new Hydro Max fuel, which is a high carb drink mix they’ve been developing for a while. I personally really like the taste of it, especially the fact that it’s not very sweet, considering the amount of carbs per serving… You should definitely give it a try and let me know what you think!

How aero can you be and why?

I know I’ve been talking a lot about “aero” recently but that is where the industry is heading and it’s actually very interesting. This recent podcast with Dan Bigham (the man who kind of started the whole aero frenzy) gets quite nerdy but is very informative on the matter.

Niche brands FTW

In the podcast above they mention niche cycling brands, which as I touched on in the last newsletter, I’m quite a fan of. Today I’d like to shoutout Morimono. Yes, again. I told you guys about their new saddle bag, and now that I’ve been using it for a few rides, I have to say that no one has ever been able to make a small, sleek, lightweight, minimalistic bag that fits a TPU tube, 2x CO2 cartridges (!), tire levers, a CO2 inflator, an extra battery, a plug kit AND a multi-tool. It looks great, the material feels amazing and it’s extremely easy to attach/ remove from the bike!

Link batch #15

I’m up there with the pros!

Last week I raced the Gateway Cup in the Pro field, my favorite race in the US. I achieved my best result at an American Crit Cup race of 41st (out of 123) in a hard course that wouldn’t usually suit me well. Great way to end the season! The race had amazing live coverage which you can rewatch here (if you don’t want to watch the whole thing, skip to 3:54:00 for the highlights).

Pros on niche brands

Tadej has been known to be seen racing on niche bike parts that aren’t part of his sponsor list. I had first heard of this brand a few years ago but noticed it now again when I saw Wout Van Aert using their saddle on his TT bike on the Olympics TT race. They used to make road saddles but seems like they’re now focusing only on TT ones… Anyways, cool brand and cool products. I’ll be testing the hype soon.

Link batch #14

Best saddle bag??

I was going to write about saddle bags this week and expand on what over the years I’ve learnt, works, doesn’t, etc…. Last week, Mori Mono, one of my favorite bike accessory brands, released what the saddle bag of my dreams seems to be. Mine’s on the way and I can’t wait to report back so we’ll hold on that saddle bag write up for now.

New oversized pulley wheel system

Ceramic Speed has been at the forefront of drivetrain efficiency optimization in the past few years. Their branding is extremely well done and the support they offer to the community and industry is unparalleled.

Recently they launched the OSPW RS Alpha, which besides it being already substantially better than normal pulley wheels due to the difference in size letting the chain pass through more efficiently, it now also includes things like active debris removal, more strength and stiffness, etc.

Anyways, I just installed mine and am loving it so far so do reach out if you have any questions about it.

Oak’s guiding principle #4 - Sophistication

This is the visual component of the brand—the aesthetic. This is an American company based in the US but I’m an European graphic designer and I believe that those two can create the perfect marriage.

Our branding is very minimalistic. It’s timeless. European. Yet our campaigns, teams and special editions will be loud, fun and creative. American. One way or another, both will be showcased in everything we do and I encourage you to keep an eye out for that—the details.

This principle also means that our main focus is not the technical side of things; yes, our products have to be safe and we want them to be competitive, but many, many frame manufacturers are competitive yet not many can be set apart.

We will always favor design and consider the added value that our products add to our customers. Whether that is achieved through the use of the products themselves or through the brand’s community, or the overall culture of bike racing, that is our priority.

Link batch #13

I’ve been going through the process of getting these custom aero extensions made for the prototype Oak time trial bike. The process so far has been quite immersive and pleasant but it’s still early. I look forward to sharing more details with you all as I dive deeper into the world of aero, time-trial optimization.

I’ve been fascinated about bike-specific trips for a a while and even more about professional cycling training camps. Last year, this video made me want to go experience that for myself and thanks to inGamba, I was able to. This is a bit of an extravagant experience but nothing crazier than any other all-inclusive vacation… If you’re a cyclist/ cycling lover, it makes sense. Something I would 100% recommend (better than an overly expensive vacation at the beach, in my opinion…).

Oak’s guiding principle #3 - Joy

I want to share about our third guiding principle, a personal one—Joy.

Not wanting to sound cheesy or cliché but this one really does mean a lot to me, especially in the cycling World. Cycling is known for elitism, meaning more experienced/ faster guys aren’t welcoming to beginners/ slower guys; there seem to be a lot of social barriers in order to progress in the sport: I really dislike that.

Cycling is a beautiful sport, everyone should be welcomed and encouraged to improve and achieve the best version of themselves. For that to happen, there has to be positivity and encouragement in everything cycling related—rides, races, social media…—there needs to be more joy.

So, here at Oak, I want to make sure that at the center of everything we do is a big deep bucket of joy. That will be the fuel, the blood behind all our actions and decisions.

Link batch #12

Talk about pointless upgrades (no one asked), I really love these rotor lockrings. Most wheels/ rotors come with lockrings but replacing them with these just adds a little bit of extra oomph. They might be installed on all our stock builds…

Another, possibly pointless, upgrade, that has also sucked me in after all the media it’s gotten, are the ultralight thru axles. I think this is especially cool as it’s one of the first times a Chinese brand innovates in the cycling industry from a luxury/ high quality perspective, as opposed to the usual cheap/ fast one.

This is still one of the best cycling documentaries of all time, so if you haven’t seen it yet, get on it.

Oak’s guiding principle #2 - Racing

The first brand pillar I talked about in regards to our brand strategy was Family. Today I’d like to talk about the second one—Racing.

If Family is our heart, Racing is our core. It is to us the definition of purposeful and enjoyable riding. The promotion of adrenaline through fast riding (professional or amateur races, fast group rides or a hit out with friends!).

This is the reason why we strive to create fast, competitive products. It is the reason as to why we continually research and learn about what innovations are being created in the speed realm of the cycling world. And we do this together. Not just internally but with our extended family; and that’s an invitation, to you, and everyone passionate about bike racing. To join us in this adventure of becoming faster and enjoying doing so together.