Ahh, Friday. For most, this is the beginning of a weekend ahead due to be spent making merry in sunny gardens with close chums. However, we know that for you — a true cycling fan — that the weekend will be filled with hours spent dutifully toiling up the nastiest climbs in the name of... well, whyever we do that.
For the truest of true cycling fans — and you are, of course, among this number — this weekly ritual cannot begin until you've sat down for 11spd, the weekly roundup of the freshest cycling kit to land at BikeRadar HQ and a life force for tech-hungry swag lords like yourself.
From thrillingly light forks to boring ol' axle spacers, we've got it all in this week's edition!
Garmin Edge 530
We’re in the midst of testing a huge number of GPS computers in preparation for a grouptest due to be published later this year (keep your peepers peeled!).
Among this number is the Edge 530, an all-new unit from Garmin released in April of this year.
The 530 features much of the same tech that is packed into the 830 but loses the touchscreen of the pricier unit.
- £259 / $299
Nikwax BaseFresh baselayer wash
Nikwax makes a speciality wash for just about every type of garment imaginable — we’ve previously featured sandal wash on 11spd and this week we get equally as niche, with this baselayer wash.
Said to “revitalise the wicking properties of baselayers”, the wash is good for both synthetic and natural fibres.
I will be refreshing this decidedly creepy looking — but oh-so high-performing — Brynje baselayer with this very soon.
- £3.49, international pricing TBC
POC Ventral Air Spin helmet
Speaking of my tastes in kit, I've had to replace my very-much-loved POC Octal X after a fairly spectacular crash at a recent race.
Deciding to stick with POC, finding that its helmets fit my dome particularly well, I have also decided to stick with a lairy colour, opting for a delightful radioactive citrusy-orangey version of the Ventral Air Spin.
First spotted at the Tour Down Under, I’m looking forward to spending more time and being easily seen on the road with this lid.
- £220 / $250 / €250
Orbea Gain e-road bike
We first road the Orbea Gain at its launch approximately one zillion years ago and have finally got a sample bike in for review.
Due to be Oli’s long-term test bike for the coming summer, the subtly electrified Gain will be whisking BikeRadar’s resident gummy worm enthusiast from his rural manse into central Bristol, hopefully without breaking a sweat.
- £5,720 / $6,799 / €6,300
Wheels Manufacturing axle spacer kit
D’you know what’s a really boring thing to have to buy? Axle spacers. But you know what’s really useful to have on hand if you run a bike shop? A big box of axle spacers.
At $90, this assortment of 125 spacers of various spacers ain’t cheap. But if you’re a shop mechanic at your wits' end trying to make some heinous old tandem drum brake work with a new hub and it’s weirdly-sized end caps (I speak from experience here), you’ll be delighted to have spent the cash.
- $90, international pricing TBC
B'Twin 900 road cycling socks
While we here at BikeRadar love a jazzy chaussette as much as the next cyclist, there's no denying that there's little as classy as a crisp pair of white cycling socks.
However, finding an unbranded all-white sock that doesn't cost a lot is a remarkably difficult task.
Enter the catchily named B'Twin 900 road cycling socks. Available for just £7.99 a pair and in white, black or fluro green, these mid-height socks should satisfy even the fussiest sock connoisseur.
- £7.99, international pricing TBC
- Buy B'Twin's 900 road cycling socks direct from Decathlon
2020 Rockshox SID Ultimate
Rockshox has done something exceptionally clever in offering its top-end forks in a range of delightful hues that differ from its regular forks — the rich royal blue of its SID Ultimate fork screams primo, and much like Kashima coatings did for Fox, if you’re using one, the whole world will know you’re a monied prince/princess of the cycling world.
The beautiful one-piece moulded carbon crown is an engineering marvel and, inside, the fork features Rockshox’ updated Charger 2.1 damper.
The whole package comes in at frankly ridiculous 1,500g on the dot with an uncut steerer.
- £775–840 / €865–945 / $779–$849, AU$TBC
Panini Tour de France 2019 sticker book
With the arrival of this year’s Tour de France 2019 sticker book from Panini — the first it's ever produced to commemorate the world's biggest sporting event — the BikeRadar team will be sweeping the back of its collective couches to find the loose change required to fill its pages.
Online availability is patchy, but it only seems right to buy it from your local convenient French corner shop anyway.
- Pricing and availability TBC
Hedkayse One foldable cycling helmet
The Hedkayse One is a flexible cycling helmet that is said to be good for protecting you from multiple impacts, something the brand claims no other folding helmet is capable of.
The helmet is made from Hedkayse’s own Enkayse material, a squidgy yet very firm memory-foam-like material that returns to its original position when compressed with a thumb.
The helmet folds down to a claimed 50 percent smaller than when worn and features a funky ratchet on the strap that is not unlike that found on some cycling shoes.
SRAM AXS Eagle X01 groupset
We’ve already dedicated many pixels of screen space to SRAM’s flagship AXS road and mountain bike groupsets, but that doesn’t mean we can’t ogle at it once more now that we have an X01 groupset in for test.
- Wireless shifting for the masses — SRAM Force eTap AXS is here
- Reverb AXS seatpost review
- SRAM X01 Eagle AXS wireless drivetrain first ride review
This groupset is due to be tested in the coming months but, in the meantime, you can read all there is to know about the new groupset in our original first ride review.
- £1,900 / $1,900 / €2,000
100% Armega googles
Well, ain’t these goggles from 100% something!
The design of the goggles verges into full Stormtrooper territory, with oversized lens and nose guard, which is quite unlike anything we’ve seen recently.
The goggles are primarily designed for motocross riders, but we suspect they’ll also find favour among downhill riders.
The Armega has clearly been deemed important enough to warrant a seriously comprehensive dedicated mini-site. If such things interest you, this is definitely worth looking through.
- £99 / $108 / AU$170 / €105
- Buy now from Dirtbikebitz
