What a week it’s been at BikeRadar! With seemingly everyone in the industry launching something, we’ve been run off our feet trying to keep up with all the hot new goodies to land at HQ.
We’ve seen the RockShox forks line revamped for 2018, have seen yet another disc brake break cover from Tune, received some jazzy shoes and have even got the perfect storage solution for said shoes.
And as always, we have 11spd to top your week off like a swag-tastic-cherry. Read on to cast your eyes over the coolest new kit to land in our grubby mitts.
Scott Centric Plus Helmet
Scott claims its Centric Plus helmet is not only 17-percent more aero than its predecessor the Vanish but also two-percent cooler on your head than not wearing a helmet at all at 40kph, both big calls. We can't speak to the aerodynamics nor whether it's cooler than not wearing a helmet at all, but having taken it for a spin around the parking garage it feels pretty airy.
Designed in collaboration with the University of Adelaide, the lid, which is targeted at roadies and the XC MTB crowd, tips our scales at 279g (size medium, AU standard) and features an exclusive ‘Scott Air’ perforated MIPS liner.
The new lid features a compact silhouette and snub tail profile which is becoming more common among the latest crop of aero helmets.
Lightweight straps with fixed splitters work in combination with the three-position height adjustable HALO fit retention system and X-Static Antimicrobial padding to provide a secure fit and so far comfortable fit.
- £145 / $200 / AU$300 / €199
Blackburn Central 700 front light
In Australia, the days are getting shorter which means more time is going to be spent riding in the dark. As the name suggests Blackburn’s Central 700 front light packs 700 lumens of power, with three stable beam settings and two flashers on offer. Blackburn has designed the lens where at full power, the beam is claimed to stretch 131m.
Utilising a GoPro style mounting interface and included rubberband mount, the light can be set up on your bars or helmet depending on the riding you plan to do. With the near universal three prong mounting system, it’s also compatible with any GoPro or similar mounts you may already own.
Battery life is claimed to be 1.25 hours at the full 700 lumens or up to 16 hours on the flashing modes. The micro USB rechargeable lithium ion battery is also replaceable, and the power button changes colour based on the remaining charge.
- £80 / $90/ AU$170 / €TBC
Time Xpresso 10 pedals
French brand Time has always been known for its low weight and knee friendly pedals, and the Expresso 10s keep to that tradition.
The Expresso 10 features a hollow steel axle, carbon body and tip our scales at an impressive 97g each side.
Based around Time’s iClic system the Expresso pedals use a carbon spring which bows inward to ‘pre-open’ the clipless system where stepping into the pedal releases a trigger allowing the clasp to snap down on the cleat.
The pedals also utilise Time’s BioPerformance stack height which is claimed to measure 13.5mm and the cleats allow for 2.5mm of lateral float in addition to the 15 degrees of angular float
There's also a 700mm2 platform complete with an aluminium plate to prevent premature wear.
- £140 / $TBC / AU$300 / €100
Btwin Chain Whip
Btwin is sold in outdoor megastore giant Decathlon, which means this £11.99 chain whip represents great value for money. It works in a different way to the conventional chain whip by gripping on to the smallest cog using the 3 raised knobs. It’s compatible with 11-14 tooth lower cogs and 7 to 11 speed cassettes. Unfortunately this means riders with a 10 tooth lowest cog miss out, but either way it looks like a great piece of kit.
- Buy from Decathlon
- £11.99/€11.95
Full Court Press/Paria Cycling Kit
Want to know what’s better than having your favourite coffee at your favourite cafe after a hard ride? How about having your favourite coffee at your favourite cafe whilst wearing their own branded cycling kit? Well, Bristol, UK based coffee experts Full Court Press have done just that by releasing their own cycling kit. It’s designed by illustrator and all round rad cycling guy Christian Moore, whilst Paria takes care of manufacturing duties. It’s available in a range of sizes and mens/women’s specific cuts.
- Paria.cc
- Jersey £59.00, shorts £80 or set £115
Versus Trail Socks
Versus Socks has sent a selection of its Trail Socks, which are designed and manufactured in South Africa.
The mid length socks feature a bit of extra cushioning and support for when things get a bit wild off road but still feature the mesh area on the top of the foot to keep your little piggies from getting too hot.
They come in a smorgasboard of colours as well as two sizes, 4-7 and 7-11.
- £TBC / $10 / AU$20 / €TBC
Mcfk - 29er MTB Wheels
We’ve recently reviewed German carbon specialist Mcfk’s road/cyclocross wheels and they were half a star off a perfect score, so we’re hoping these 29er MTB wheels will be of similar quality.
Ours come with a Cannondale lefty front hub, for our resident racer (and Cannondale owner) Joe Norledge, but Mcfk can spec the wheels with just about any combination you can dream of.
As you can imagine, they’re not cheap, but with a 24.5mm internal width, 125kg system weight limit and a sprightly weight of just 1340g for the pair, you won’t be able to blame your wheels next time you get dropped in a race.
- Mcfk.de
- £1527.81/€1788.90 (dependent on spec)
76 Projects - The Piggy
Thinking about throwing all of your spares in your trail pack? Think again. Clever on the bike storage is back in fashion (did it ever go away?) and The Piggy by 76 Projects is a fine example of said storage solution.
It attaches with your bottle cage (hello low centre of gravity) and features a Velcro strap to secure things like tubes, tools or whatever else takes your fancy. Weighing just 73g it should keep the weight weenies happy, too. Just make sure to check it fits your bike before taking the plunge.
- 76projects.com
- £27.50/€n/a
DHB Blok Bolt short sleeve jersey
While DHB produces a host of more subtly hued kit, we’ve always been fond of the more garish Blok collection, and resident kit-hoarder Jack jumped at the chance to further his stockpile of jazzy-jerseys with this fun number from the Wiggle own-brand.
Looking something like a cross between a bowling alley carpet and a scattering of fridge magnets, this funky jersey will certainly stand out in the bunch.
DHB’s budget-conscious, yet super high quality kit has consistently impressed us and Jack’s looking forward to counting the number of compliments/amount of playful abuse he gets toting the jersey this summer.
- £45.00 / €54.45 / $57.60 / AU$77.04
Selle San Marco Rolls Titano
Selle San Marco has offered its classically styled ‘Bottega’ line alongside its range of bang up to date, modern road and mountain bike saddles for years now.
The Rolls is arguably the most well known of the saddles in the Bottega range — a mainstay of the peloton for many, many years, few will be unfamiliar with its classic, seamless lines.
Although it’s less widely used these days, Selle San Marco has continued to update the Rolls and this range topping option comes with titanium rails and weighs in at a respectable 301g.
While the Rolls Titano won’t be to everyone’s tastes, some builds — and bottoms — demand a more classic shaped saddle and we’re happy to see that Selle San Marco is still dedicated to updating even its oldest designs.
- £99.99 / €121 / $128 / AU$172
Endura Oblixe jersey, shorts and socks
Endura has launched a run of three limited edition men’s kits and two women’s kits for SS17. The five kits each feature geometric designs and consist of a matching jersey, shorts and socks.
Endura sent us the black and blue ‘Oblixe kit’, which is a combination of intersecting lines and blocks. The jersey is a race fit with a low collar and features ergonomic panels for a comfortable fit whilst in a riding position. The sleeves are laser cut, close fitting and what we think is spot-on in terms of length. As well as the usual three cargo pockets for the rear, there is also a mesh side pocket on the right hand panel of the jersey, a handy place to store gels or a couple of bars.
The bibshorts are predominantly black, but feature the same black and blue ‘Oblixe’ design around the cuffs. We’re yet to have an extended ride in the shorts, but the ninety minute ride along the canals outside of Ghent last week left us looking forward to getting riding in the kit for a full review soon.
Alongside the ‘Oblixe’ kit, the limited edition also includes;
- M90: grey and green geometric camouflage inspired by the Swedish military (men's).
- Cubitex: a subtle black and grey design, with red detailing (men's).
- TriWeave: a black, pink and purple bold geometric design on a black background (women's).
- Botanix: red floral pattern on a black background (women's).
All kits are three pieces (jersey, bibshorts and socks).
