Once again, we have reached the end of the working week, which means it's time for First Look Friday.
The sunny weather of the past month has given way to a more familiar drizzle in the UK, and while optimists will say the trails needed some moisture, I for one am missing the consistent sunshine and a clean bike.
On the site, it has been another busy week following on from Eurobike, where over the weekend we caught a glimpse of Shimano's new 105 mechanical groupset, the first 12-speed mechanical groupset from the brand.
Throughout the week, we've been sharing reviews from our women's bib shorts test, kicking off with Alice Thomson's thoughts on the Le Col Women’s Sport Cargo Bib Shorts.
Tour de France fever has taken over the office, with the race starting this Saturday.
Earlier in the week, we explained what the different leaders jerseys mean for the grand tour and looked into the financial rewards for wining the Tour de France.
On the mountain biking side, our senior technical editor Alex Evans reviewed Unparallel's Dust Up flat shoes, the climbing brand's first foray into cyclewear.
Anyway, without further ado, here's the lowdown on the latest kit to land at BikeRadar HQ.
Berk Lupina Short Comic Edition saddle
Small Slovenian brand Berk has been making waves with its lightweight componentry for a while now. Founded in 2014, the brand has made products for Colnago and even shoes for Tadej Pogačar’s first season with UAE Team Emirates.
Saddles are Berk’s main product line, with the Lupina Short being a snub-nose version of the brand's popular Lupina model.
The Lupina Short has a claimed weight of 95g, and features a full carbon fibre construction with the oval rails bonded to the saddle's underside.
Because of its light weight, Berk sets a maximum rider weight of 100kg for the Lupina Short, something I’m sure most hill climbers won’t be affected by.
Being quite a short saddle, the Slovenian brand says it has manufactured some flex into the seat portion by using Innegra fibre within the carbon layup to add comfort.
This limited-edition version is finished with a comic theme featuring a collage of pop art and political figures, with Andy Warhol's image of Blondie singer Debbie Harry featuring under the left buttock and Barack Obama’s head replacing the rivet.
The saddle features a cut-out, which is said to help prevent pressure on the perineum.
Berk says the saddle features a ‘T’ shape, which can be seen in the wide nose of the saddle. The brand says it reduces the amount of friction when pedalling.
- £310
Wolf Tooth Waveform pedals
These pedals from US-based brand Wolf Tooth are CNC'd from a single billet of aluminium and feature a dual-concave platform that's 12.5mm thick in the centre and 14mm thick on the perimeter.
Wolf Tooth says the dual-concave platform helps prevent your foot from moving not only front and back, but also from side to side.
This is assisted by 11 stainless steel pins on either side of the pedal for added grip, with Wolf Tooth providing six spare pins in the box.
The Waveform pedals come in two sizes, Small and Large, to better fit your shoe size.
The Small version is 105x99mm and weighs 373g, while the Large is 112x106mm and is 11g heavier at 384g.
The pedals feature three sealed bearings, with a custom radial seal on the spindle to protect the internal components from trail debris.
The body of the pedal features tapered edges to deflect rock strikes, and engraved onto the platforms are an ‘L’ and ‘R’ to denote on which side the pedal belongs – a handy feature for someone changing pedals frequently.
The Waveform pedals are available in eight colours and come with a five-year warranty.
- £195/$199
Specialized x Fjällräven Merino Wool Caliswe T-shirt
Specialized and Fjällräven have joined forces to launch another collaborative clothing range.
The collection sees a focus on bikepacking, with the Merino Wool Caliswe T-Shirt featuring two randonnées touring by bike.
The shirt is made from a 50/50 wool-polyester blend, which should keep it breathable on hot days.
I am a big advocate of Merino T-shirts when touring, because the casual style allows for everyday tourist activity while still remaining breathable on the bike.
Wool’s antimicrobial properties also mean it can be worn for more than one day without needing to stop at a laundromat.
The rear of the Merino Wool Caliswe T-Shirt features a zip pocket big enough for keys or credit cards and has a string-pull zipper.
A cycling cut is used in the form of a high-low hem, with the shirt being slightly longer at the back to compensate for the back arch when riding.
- £80
Bell Sanction 2 DLX
Bell’s new Sanction 2 DLX helmet looks to borrow its design heavily from the brand’s range-toping Full-10 downhill helmet and features 14 vents for cooling.
A Fidlock buckle is used for fastening, which should enable one-handed release, while the inside of the helmet features a MIPS lining to reduce rotational forces from certain impacts.
Bell says the helmet is made from a durable ABS shell with an EPS liner, which helps keep the weight down – with the helmet said to weigh 1,080g for a size medium.
The helmet is rated for downhill and BMX riding, and uses an Ionic+™ Antimicrobial comfort liner, which uses silver metallised yarn to reduce odour.
- £179.99
