With just over a week until the Tour de France 2026 departs from Barcelona, Gear Break has a TdF warmup for you this week. Chuck tested and reviewed Formula 100’s drip wax. MAAP has dropped their TdF swap outs for the Jayco-AlUla squads, men and women. Ritchey has rebranded their top end components into a single line. Continental has a limited edition race tire package-both color and branding. Wilier Triestina has dropped the Ultimate Filiante, celebrating 120 years of bike building excellence…you will not want to sleep on this! And, Bikeflights has launched RFID tracking for your peace of mind. Allez!
Formula 100 Fast Wax Drip Chain Lube
Next gen drivetrain care
Fast Wax
Drip Chain Lube, a next-generation wax lubricant with corrosion protection for Bicycles and eBikes:
- Active Corrosion Defense — not just a passive film; ongoing protection even as wear occurs
- Extended Low-Friction Performance — smooth, efficient power transfer ride after ride
- Cleaner Chain, Less Grime — advanced repellency minimizes contamination buildup
- Easy Drip Application — wax performance without ritualistic prep
- Versatile Across Conditions — dry, wet, gravel, mountain, road, and eBike compatible
By the numbers
- 3x durability
- +50% better corrosion protection
- – 25% Friction Heat Reduction or torque capacity
- +30% wider operating temperature range
- 300+ miles per application
- 4,500 miles per bottle (120mL)
Drip wax vs Dipped wax
Chuck sez: If you’ve been wanting to see if the benefits of hot waxing your chain are all that, but not wanting to deal with the time/hassle of taking your chain off, immersing it in hot wax, letting the wax dry/harden, and then putting your chain back on, Formula 100 Fast Wax is the ‘droid you’ve been looking for. Just drip it on a clean chain/drivetrain for a waxed chain.
I’m sure PEZ readers have tried a multitude of chain lubes and have heard all about the benefits of hot waxing your chain:
- Cleanliness and Maintenance – Wax repels dirt and grime rather than attracting them, keeping the chain, cassette, and chainrings significantly cleaner.
- Performance and Efficiency – Waxed chains produce less friction, resulting in smoother gear shifts and a quieter ride.
- Durability and Cost Savings – By reducing internal friction and preventing abrasive contaminants from entering the chain links, waxing extends the lifespan of the chain and other drivetrain components.
I have friends who are chain waxing converts, but IMHO it’s a PITA:
- Clean your chain … OK, you should do this anyway (I use a Pedro’s Chain Pig with Simple Green Max degreaser)
- Put whatever wax you’re using in a slow cooker (NOTE: You’ll need one you don’t actually use for cooking!)
- Place your chain and quick link on the wax
- Let the slow cooker come up to temp to melt the wax
- Swish you chain around in the wax (you’ll need a J-bend tool) and leave it in for however long the instructions say for the wax you’re using
- Remove your chain from the slow cooker and hang it up for however long it takes for the chain to cool and the wax to harden
- Install your chain (NOTE: The chain will probably be stiff so you may need to “break” each link and allow for some break-in time riding before the chain runs and shifts smoothly.)
- Repeat every 200-300 miles riding in dry conditions, but immediately/as soon as possible after a ride in the wet
Application and test
I needed to install a new chain on my LOOK so the timing was perfect to give Fast Wax a try. (NOTE: Even though the chain was new, I still had to degrease it to remove OEM factory grease — otherwise, the Fast Wax wouldn’t bond to the metal. I also cleaned my chain rings, cassette, and pulleys because a clean drivetrain is a happy drivetrain.)
Instead of the whole hot wax ritual, I just dripped Fast Wax onto each roller. Easy peasy! Voila!
My bling KMC gold chain after applying Fast Wax:
After 2 rides and 80-something miles … still looking pretty clean:
The verdict
Since I’ve not previously done hot waxing, I can’t say that Fast Wax is the equivalent. Logic says it won’t be exactly the same. But assuming it provides a lot of the same benefit but with less hassle, that’s a plus in my book.
For your viewing amusement (you have to love the artifacts of video … the spokes on the wheel appear to be moving backwards even though the wheel is spinning forwards … the cogs on the cassette sometimes seem to be spinning independently … the chain sometimes looks like it stops even though I’m constantly turning the cranks):
I don’t have a way to measure and quantify, so I can’t definitely say that Fast Wax resulted in a quieter drivetrain than the lube I was previously using — but it certainly wasn’t any noisier. I also can’t measure and quantify if the shifting was better/smoother, but I didn’t have any issues in that department. And my chain stayed pretty clean. So I don’t have a whole lot to complain about. We’ll have to see how Fast Wax does after a couple hundred miles of riding and a couple of re-applications, but my initial verdict is very positive:
- Easy to apply
- Quiet running
- Smooth shifting
- Clean chain
What’s not to like?
Pricing & Availability
The Formula 100 Fast Wax Drip Chain Lube comes in two sizes: 50mL – $16.95 120mL – $24.95. We’ve linked each size if you’re interested in giving this a shot. Andy is still convinced dipping his chain in hot wax is better…prove him wrong!
MAAP Team Jayco-AlUla and Liv AlUla Jayco
Limited Edition “Swap Out”
Melbourne-based premium cycling apparel brand MAAP and Australian WorldTour cycling team GreenEDGE Cycling have revealed a limited-edition swap-out kit to be worn by Team Jayco-AlUla and Liv AlUla Jayco throughout the 2026 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
Derived from shared passion
Created from a shared passion to disrupt the predictability of the world of professional cycling, the swap-out kit rejects the traditional excuses for a design reset. No leader’s jersey clash to avoid, no UCI mandate, just a desire to drop something unexpected on cycling’s biggest stage.
Misha Glisovic, MAAP’s Chief Creative Officer, sez: “In professional cycling, you’ll often only see change when a rule enforces it. Our goal was to turn that on its head and bring a fresh energy to the peloton through a release that felt unexpected and exclusive. Something different, memorable, and something that wouldn’t be around forever.”
The kit will be the centrepiece of HYPERFORMANCE, MAAP’s Paris Fashion Week installation exploring the intersection of WorldTour performance, material innovation and contemporary design. The project brings elite cycling technology into a cultural setting rarely occupied by professional sport.
Function is fashionable
The project reflects MAAP’s ongoing pursuit of progression through design and performance. By unveiling the kit within the context of Paris Fashion Week, MAAP sought to highlight the craftsmanship, innovation and technical development behind WorldTour apparel, positioning cycling alongside broader conversations in contemporary design and culture.
Visually, the new kit evolves the familiar MAAP x GreenEDGE “Aurora” purple and signature flame motif, striking a sharp contrast with the injection of high-energy electric green highlights.
The commercial release continues the concept and will only be available in incredibly limited quantities, with just 150 units available worldwide. Once they are gone, the design retires permanently to the archives.
Team evolved
For GreenEDGE Cycling, entering its 15th season, the swap-out kit signals a broader cultural evolution within the team:
Brent Copeland, General Manager of Team Jayco-AlUla, sez: “As we hit our 15th season, we want to keep pushing the boundaries of what a professional cycling team looks like. Racing the Tour in this kit is about standing out and showing our ambition right from the first stage.”
Availability
Unveiled on June 25 during Paris Fashion week, the MAAP x GreenEDGE 2026 Swap-Out Kit launches globally on 30 June via MAAP.cc and select MAAP LaB locations worldwide.
Ritchey Unifies Carbon Fiber Line Under Superlogic
All the high performance bits under one name
Ritchey is consolidating all of its top-tier carbon fiber handlebars, seatposts, and stems under the SuperLogic level of products. The company has built carbon fiber components for nearly 20 years, but going forward, only carbon parts made from the thinnest, purest fibers and the most complex layup techniques will carry the SuperLogic name.
The name extends “Ritchey Logic,” the term Tom Ritchey coined for the brand’s practical design philosophy. Ritchey introduced “SuperLogic” to describe its lightest carbon components, and the designation now applies across the brand’s full premium carbon fiber line.
Kevin Putzke, general manager of Ritchey Asia, sez: “With carbon, it comes down to the raw material you’re putting in before it goes into prepreg or anything…it’s the actual fibers. They’re made to different levels and different weights; the highest ends are going to be the most expensive. What becomes a SuperLogic product starts with a strength and weight target. Not a cost target.”
Renaming the line also clears up confusion around Ritchey’s carbon fiber products.
Putzke also sez: “We found that people got confused when there was a WCS alloy part and a WCS carbon part, and then we made it worse with a few of our stems. We do them in a finish called ‘blatte,’ and although they are aluminum, the black finish looks a lot like carbon. People would say, ‘I’ve got the carbon bar and stem,’ and we’d look at them and go, ‘Yeah, not really.’”
According to Putzke, that confusion led to a clear rule: if a Ritchey product is high modulus carbon fiber, it’s Ritchey SuperLogic.
The SuperLogic Mountain Bars, announced recently, are the newest addition to the line, and more SuperLogic products are planned across all Ritchey product categories.
Availability
The entire SuperLogic line is available now. For full details on the SuperLogic line and what makes it different, head over to ritcheylogic.com. The full range is available now for purchase direct from Ritchey or from your favorite Ritchey retailer.
Continental 2026 Tour de France Limited Edition
Race ready in one package
Continental has unveiled its 2026 Tour de France Limited Edition tire package, pairing the aerodynamic Aero 111 with the Grand Prix 5000 S TR inspired by cycling’s most prestigious race.
New branding, proven performance
Created to celebrate the Tour de France and showcase Continental’s most advanced road tire technologies, the set combines a 29 mm Aero 111 front tire with a 30 mm Grand Prix 5000 S TR rear tire. Both feature transparent sidewalls and exclusive Tour de France branding, available only as part of this special bundle.
The launch marks the first time the Aero 111 has been available in the transparent colorway, offering riders a fresh visual identity to Continental’s pioneering aerodynamic tire.
The Aero 111 was designed to help riders go faster when it matters most. Its distinctive tread pattern works with modern wheel systems to reduce aerodynamic drag in crosswinds while increasing the sailing effect, helping riders maintain speed and efficiency across a range of real-world conditions, including the 2025 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad with Uno-X Mobility rider Søren Wærenskjold.
Combined with the race-proven Grand Prix 5000 S TR, the package delivers a complete race-ready solution that blends aerodynamic efficiency, low rolling resistance, confident grip and trusted puncture protection.
The following Continental-sponsored teams will also be able to race the limited edition combination in the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift:
- Groupama-FDJ United (Men’s only)
- UAE Team Emirates-XRG and UAE Team ADQ
- Movistar Team (Women’s and Men’s teams)
- Bahrain-Victorious
- Decathlon CMA CGM
- Uno-X Mobility (Women’s and Men’s teams)
Hannah Ferle, Road Product Manager, Continental Tires sez: “With this year’s Tour de France Limited Edition, we wanted to bring together two products that represent the very best of Continental road performance.”
“The Aero 111 continues to demonstrate how much untapped performance exists within the tire itself, while the Grand Prix 5000 S TR remains the benchmark for speed, grip and reliability. Together, they create a unique package worthy of cycling’s biggest race.”
Like the standard Aero 111, the limited edition model features Continental’s BlackChili compound for low rolling resistance and exceptional grip, alongside Vectran puncture protection proven throughout the Grand Prix 5000 family. Both tires are Tubeless Ready and hookless compatible.
Key Features
Aero 111 Tour de France Limited Edition
- Size: 29-622
- Weight: 265 g
- Colour: Black / Transparent
- Aerodynamic tread
- Technology: BlackChili Compound, Vectran Breaker
- Tubeless Ready and hookless compatible
Grand Prix 5000 S TR Tour de France Limited Edition
- Size: 30-622
- Weight: 305 g
- Colour: Black / Transparent
- Technology: BlackChili Compound, Vectran Breaker
- Tubeless Ready and hookless compatible
Pricing & Availability
The 2026 Tour de France Limited Edition package will be available globally through selected Continental retailers. The Aero 111 transparent sidewall version will be available exclusively as part of this bundle and will not be sold separately. Find all the details here. MSRP for the bundle is 216.95€ / £199.99 / $257.95.
Wilier Triestina Filante Ultimate
Celebrating 120 years with an ultimate build
For their 120th anniversary, Wilier presents Filante Ultimate: the most exclusive edition ever produced by the brand.
The build
The next-gen Toray M40X carbon frame combines six different fibres in a layup designed to reduce weight even further and transmit energy without loss: responsive in accelerations, precise in changes of pace and stable at high speeds.
Completing the setup, a selection of exclusive components are used for this edition. Wilier has utilized the CeramicSpeed oversized pulley cage system with “120” branding; Miche X2 RD chainring with “120” branding; a blue anodized Universal Derailleur Hangar, axles and rotor lockrings; color-matched painted seatpost; and, special handlebar tape with painted spacers between the cockpit and frame. The project is completed with a dedicated aerokit, including water bottles, and Vittoria tires.
The setup is enriched by the Deva RD Daylight Silver wheels and the CeramicSpeed bottom bracket bearings. This project promises ultimate smoothness, efficiency, and technical sophistication.
Wilier Triestina, 120 Years Forward
Andrea Gastaldello, CEO of Wilier Triestina, sez: “We look to the future with ambition and responsibility. Our development priorities are clear: strengthening our presence in the gravel segment, accelerating growth in non-European markets and further consolidating our positioning in the key European markets. The 120 years represent a new starting point from which to face a phase of further evolution and international development.”
The celebrations for Wilier Triestina’s 120th anniversary were held at Villa Contarini, in Piazzola sul Brenta, with 120 Years Forward, an evening that brought together the entire brand community: dealers, ambassadors, partners and guests, including some of the riders who have contributed to writing its story. During the event, the new Filante Ultimate was also officially presented.
At the centre of the villa, an immersive exhibition told the story of Wilier Triestina’s DNA, its identity and the vision that guides its development today. More than a celebration of the past, the journey explored the values, insights and design culture that have defined the company’s recent evolution, placing the Culture of Speed at its heart: a philosophy that interprets speed as the synthesis of research, innovation, design and a deep cycling culture.
120 Years Forward represented not only the culmination of the anniversary celebrations, but also a declaration of intent. A moment in which Wilier reaffirmed its capacity to evolve, maintaining a firm sense of identity and continuing to look ahead, towards the next chapters of its story.
Key specs
- Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 with Ceramic Speed OSPW
- Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace R9270 Powermeter
- Chainrings: Miche X2 RD R92 Carbon Chainring 52-36T
- Bottom Bracket: Ceramic Speed
- Cockpit: One-piece fully integrated hose routing
- Wheels: Miche Deva RD 62 with Carbon Spokes
Availability
This is a truly exclusive build. For full details, visit Wilier Triestina’s website. Pricing for the US is not yet disclosed, for Europe is it priced at 18,000€. Reserving one of these special bicycles will only be through their authorized retailers.
Bikeflights RFID Tracking
Bikeflights launched this week the option for built-in Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tracking on its bike shipments. It is the first bicycle shipping company to bring this technology to riders. Bikeflights’ RFID service is a close collaboration with UPS, bringing top-tier tracking to cyclists across the country. Unlike a traditional barcode tracking number that goes quiet between updates, or a consumer device that only the sender can see, RFID gives the customer, Bikeflights and the shipping carrier the same near-real-time view of a bike’s progress.
What is RFID?
RFID labels use a tiny embedded chip and low-power radio frequency interrogation to identify and track a shipment without an onboard battery or power source. Unlike a traditional barcode, which has to be lined up and scanned one at a time on a belt, an RFID label can be read wirelessly and from a distance,
even when it isn’t directly visible or if the parcel is too big to fit on conveyors. As a tagged shipment passes an RFID reader in the carrier’s network, the reader activates the chip and captures its unique ID automatically, so the bike is identified, sorted and tracked more quickly and accurately at every point the label is read.
Because those reads happen inside the carrier’s own operations, the resulting location data isn’t something the rider watches from the outside. It’s the same operational data the carrier and Bikeflights use to move and route the shipment with each scan feeding the customer’s Bikeflights shipment status page, so riders see meaningful, location-stamped progress instead of long silent gaps. The result is true end-to-end visibility and faster problem-solving across the entire journey, not just a string of scans.
William Alcorn, President of Bikeflights, sez: “Shipping a bike is an exercise in trust, and riders want to track exactly where their bike is at any time. Embedding RFID into the way we already handle and scan packages means everyone in the chain: the rider, our team and the carrier, is looking at the same information. That shared visibility builds confidence into the shipment itself, from the moment the box leaves until it arrives at the door.”
Why RFID?
- Near-real-time pickup confirmation
- Greater visibility and transparency as a shipment moves through the carrier network
- Fewer disruptions and faster resolution if an issue arises
- More reliability and confidence that a shipment will arrive on time
- A stronger chain of custody for added peace of mind
Availability
The rollout arrives in time for this summer’s RAGBRAI in mid-July, where Bikeflights will provide RFID-enabled labels to participating riders shipping bikes to and from the ride.
Built-in RFID tracking is available now by request on domestic shipments within the United States. It is not yet available for international shipments. After purchasing a shipment at Bikeflights.com, customers select “Request by Mail” at the label step to receive an RFID version of their shipping label, which arrives within two to three business days.
Note: If you have other experiences with gear or something to add, drop us a line. We don’t claim to know everything (we just imply it at times). Give us a pat on the back if you like the reviews. Or, call us out if you feel the need!
PezCycling News and the author ask that you consult the manufacturers if you have any questions about the products you see here. Only the manufacturer can provide accurate and complete information on proper/safe use, handling, maintenance, and or installation of products as well as any conditional information or product limitations.
The post Gear Break: Formula 100 Fast Wax, MAAP Swap Outs, Ritchey SuperLogic, Continental TdF Edition, Wilier Ultimate, Bikeflights RFID appeared first on PezCycling News.
