What another busy week we've had here on BikeRadar, from a multitude of reviews including an AXS Reverb dropper, an Elite Drivo II smart trainer and plenty of lights to keep your riding this winter, to all the news you need to know in cycling – check out our Latest News tab!
We've also had our latest BikeRadar Podcast go live, where we discuss the future of road cycling. Don't forget to subscribe...
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But that's not why you're here, you want to see NEW STUFF! So, here we go… First Look Friday is go.
Madison Turbo men's short sleeve jersey
As you'll have heard in the above podcast, the future is indoor cycling, and if you're bolting your bike into one of the many turbo trainers out there you'll need the appropriate attire. God forbid your e-cycling friends catch you riding in anything else!
Madison's kit isn't necessarily quite as daft as it seems, especially if you're current kit is UK centric and designed for cycling in temperate climes.
The extra thin, super-breathable material should help you cope with sweatier, somewhat less windy indoor conditions, so you aren't dripping quite as much sweat over your cream deep-pile carpets.
The material's fibres have an anti-bacterial treatment, reducing the anti-socialness of your chosen form of cycling, and there's no print on the material, meaning it can be washed at 60 degrees to kill any remaining pong-producing bacteria.
Final details include a full-length zip to let the smallest hint of house-bound moving air grace your chest, while there's an elasticated hem to keep the jersey in place. There are no pockets here, but we suspect you could just put your spare tube on the table next to you.
- £44.99
- Available from Freewheel
Garmin Vivoactive 4s
The Vivoactive 4s is Garmin's latest smartwatch with plenty of GPS (and thus cycling) functionality for those who don't want the expense or potential complexity (though massive functionality) of the latest range of Fenix 6 watches.
The 's' stands for small (we think), and there's an identically functioning Vivoactive 4 for those with chunkier wrists.
There are a number of upgrades over the Vivoactive 3, most noticeably the inclusion of an extra button on the side, to make navigating the watch's functions that little bit easier.
The watch, as you'd imagine, has an optical heart rate monitor, connects to all the usual GPS satellites and has a swift-functioning colour touchscreen.
The ride tracking capabilities mean easy documentation of your ride, as well as a plethora of detail, via Garmin Connect and Strava. In addition to cycling, the watch can track a range of other sports and can even show you how to do pilates and yoga via mini animations on the screen. Incredible.
Smart features include music controls, Garmin Pay, health tracking and plenty of notifications, so you won't constantly be searching for your phone every time it buzzes.
Oh, and it'll tell you the time too. Look out for a review soon.
Speednite Smart Stem
A rather unique product landed in our hands this week, a smart stem!
Though bulky in nature, the stem packs in a multitude of functionalities. At the front is a small screen, which, when paired with your phone, its app and HR strap, can show various data.
The stem extends past the bar clamp to a front headlight, and this is where things get really interesting.
Attached to your helmet should be a small sensor. This sensor (along with a supplementary remote control) can automatically move the beam of the headlight side to side, up and down, depending on where the sensor thinks you're looking or if you use the remote to tell it.
Furthermore, the sensor can also activate laser beam indicators, also mounted on the stem and in the associated rear light, to let drivers know where you're planning to go, simply by rotating your head in that direction.
Safety is further enhanced by a couple of extra features. Should you brake heavily – and the sensitivity can be adjusted – the rear light will flash its indicator lights to act as a brake light.
In a crash, or if you press the appropriate button on your controller, the tail and indicator lights will all flash as a hazard warning light.
Finally, if you do crash, the app can alert an emergency contact – much in the same way Specialized's Angi system does. You can find out even more about this stem in our news story about the Speednite stem.!
