Welcome back to another edition of First Look Friday, where we share the hottest tech that has passed over our desks in the past week.
Before we get into this week's picks, let us look back over the last seven days and remind ourselves of the excellent content we've covered.
At the start of the week, Jack Luke pleaded with bike designers to stop making bikes without seat tubes, calling into question the doubtful aero claims of the mostly inconvenient frame style.
We also saw an eye-opening analysis of Campagnolo's WorldTour omittance by our resident Campag expert, Oscar Huckle, who looked deeper into the brand's situation and considered whether it is still one of the big three drivetrain manufacturers.
Later in the week, we reported optimistic news that UK bike sales are expected to reach £1 billion in 2024 thanks to a surge in electric bike sales and that Eddy Merckx announced it was restarting production after a pandemic hiatus.
Entwined with all of this were plenty of reviews, with Canyon's Performance flat pedals, Castelli's expensive Sorpasso RoS Wind Bib Tights and Garmin's Epix Pro smartwatch all being put through their paces.
Without further ado, here is what has had us hyped this week.
Race Face ERA Crankset
Race Face’s ERA crankset is claimed to be the strongest, stiffest and most durable crankset the brand has ever created, with the carbon fibre crank arms being reinforced with stainless steel wear plates.
These wear plates are said to guard against the damage caused by footwear friction, protecting the carbon fibre from polishing and adding extra impact protection.
Race Face says it has redesigned the pedal inserts, bonding them directly into the carbon layup to increase the stiffness and durability of the interface.
The axle is made from 7055 aluminium alloy and the spindle diameter is 30mm.
The crankset is available in 165mm, 170mm and 175mm lengths, with the Q-Factor measuring a claimed 176mm with the inclusion of pedal washers.
A choice of accent colours is also available, with the ERA cranks coming in black, orange, green, blue, red, gold and black to match your bike.
Race Face claims the crankset weighs in at 483g for a 170mm set with a 136 spindle, 32T chainring and accompanying washers and spacers.
Race Face doesn’t currently offer a SRAM Transmission-compatible chainring, so T-Type owners will need to use aftermarket chainrings from brands such as Wolf Tooth.
- £449 / $499 / €489 / AU$799
DHaRCO Tech Party Shirt
DHaRCO is well known for its extravagant designs that hark back to what some would argue was the golden age of mountain bike style.
This short-sleeved shirt is unapologetically casual and looks more befitting of beach days than trail taming.
Available in various print patterns that wouldn’t look out of place on a flight to the tropics, the Party Shirt is made from a lightweight, four-way stretch material that has been designed with breathability in mind.
DHaRCO says it made the shirt slightly baggy to compensate for the button closure, while maintaining a tailored fit.
The front of the shirt has a breast pocket for storing small items, while the top portion of the rear uses doubled-up material for added structure and support.
- £62 / $74 / €69.95 / AU$74
Mavic Deemax MIPS Helmet
Mavic’s Deemax MIPS Helmet is a trail-oriented lid with an integrated Multi-Directional Impact Protection System (MIPS) that reduces the rotational motion transferred to the brain on angled impacts.
The brand says the Deemx MIPS has extended coverage around the temples and at the back of the head because these are critical areas should you have a spill.
Mavic’s Ergo Hold SL+ retention system features on the rear of the helmet to tighten it onto your head and is said to be a lightweight solution with optimal adjustability and head hold.
The Deemax MIPS is big on ventilation, with strategically placed vents feeding into internal cooling channels alongside Coolmax pads that the brand says absorb heat and wick away sweat.
A mesh screen is used to prevent bugs from entering the front vents and an eyewear tunnel has been added to store your mountain bike glasses when not in use.
The Deemax MIPS uses a traditional buckle, while the more expensive Deemax PRO MIPS fastens via a Fidlock SNAP buckle that uses a magnet to initiate the latching mechanism.
Mavic claims the Deemax MIPS weighs in at 390g for a size medium.
- £149 / $156 / €149
DMT TK10 shoes
The TK10 shoes from DMT feature the brand's 3D Knit construction on the upper, which is said to use lightweight yarns to achieve a bulkless fit with superior breathability and drying speed.
The upper acts like a sock, similar to Nike’s Flyknit concept for its running shoes and football boots, with DMT using a single Boa L6 dial to adjust the tightness of the shoe.
DMT say this gives the shoe increased durability and micro-adjustment, while also saving weight when compared to other fastening methods.
A Michelin-developed sole is used on the bottom of the shoe, which features variable tread for better traction and water evacuation in wet weather.
The brand says the TK10s are designed for trail riding, but are tough enough for enduro riding too, thanks to abrasion resistance built into the upper and sides.
- £160 / $209.99 / €175
