Pinarello Dogma F12
Price £12,000, sigmasports.com
Frame carbon
Brakes disc
Gears SRAM Red eTap AXS 12-speed

It’s often said that aside from racing thrills and bloody spills, the Tour de France is cycling’s biggest shop window. It puts on a three-week display of the most sophisticated kit and cutting-edge tech, and highlights the trends that will soon be coming our way. This year, 22 teams rode 20 different bike brands as they battled for glory over the event’s 21 stages. As the final riders roll into Paris today, manufacturers will be bracing themselves for a surge in orders – well, at least for their more basic models. Clearly, very few of us have the need (or the means) to appreciate these elite machines.

Making an appearance at the tour were the likes of Cannondale’s SuperSix EVO, Scott’s cable-free Addict RC Disc and the mint Wilier Zero SLR. Frames were lighter, more versatile and more aero-optimised than ever, with many also now fitted with disc brakes. Dave Brailsford’s Team Ineos were ferried round France on the backs of the new Dogma F12 from Pinarello. The result of 10 years’ continuous research at the PinaLab, it is utterly sublime. And yellow jersey dreams don’t come cheap – for pros or amateurs.

Cool kit

Maintaining your bike is often seen as a chore, but if you have the right kit it can be a pleasure – and increase your enjoyment of the ride. Green Oil’s Spray Lube is a water displacer, lubricator and rust preventer in one can! It’s also totally biodegradeabe. £7.99, cyclechic.co.uk

Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter@MartinLove166