The Lewis LHT Ultimate Axial Cylinder Titanium Piston hydraulic disc brakes bear more than a passing resemblance to the eye-catching Trickstuff Direttissima. However, the Lewis brakes cost less than half as much.
Chinese manufacturer Lewis makes CNC’d hydraulic brakes for mountain bikes, road bikes, gravel bikes and even electric motorbikes.
The LHT Ultimates are the brand's top-spec brakes for downhill, enduro and all-mountain riding. There are bearings in the lever-blade pivots, which should keep the levers feeling smooth and precise, even under heavy braking.
They have titanium hardware and pistons, which are insulated with ceramic material inside. All this titanium reduces the weight by 555g for the pair, which Lewis claims is 39g lighter than the standard LHTs.
They have reach adjust, and bite-point adjust, which you may expect, as features that are found on many of the best mountain bike brakes.
However, the leverage-ratio adjustment is rather clever; a cam means the pivot point of the lever can be moved to adjust the leverage ratio of the lever blade to the master cylinder. This is an effective way of changing the way the brakes feel for each rider and allows for a high level of customisation to suit your preferences.
The brakes are supplied with sintered pads, and Lewis sells some beefy 2.3mm-thick rotors to match these brakes.
- Lewis LHT Ultimate brakes: $509 per set of front and rear brakes
- Lewis HD Disc Rotors (203mm): $32
Feedback Sports RAKK ebike storage and display stand
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If you have an electric bike, the chances are you’ve accidentally tripped over the charger, or had to set it down on a wet floor after you’ve washed your bike – not exactly safety-first. Thankfully, Feedback’s ebike version of the RAKK 2.0 stand has come to the rescue.
Feedback has incorporated a platform on the RAKK’s flank to lift your ebike charger off the floor, where a large Velcro strap will keep it in place.
Cables are considered, too, with dual magnetic cord organisers to keep the connectors safely off the ground when the charger isn’t in use.
The stand's wide footprint provides stability even for heavier and bigger ebikes, and Feedback says the RAKK will support bikes up to 75lb/34kg. It’s designed to work with either front or rear wheels and the adjustable spring-loaded arm can accommodate wheels from 20in through to 29ers, with tyre widths from a road-friendly 23mm up to a massive 4.5in.
The RAKK’s 16x17.75x21.5in / 407x451x547mm dimensions don’t take up much room and, folded away, it’s a compact 20.75x17.75x4.625in / 528x432x118mm.
If you already own a RAKK stand, the ebike accessory kit is available separately as a bolt-on for £20.
- Feedback Sports RAKK ebike storage and display stand: £75 / $70 / €69
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Hiplok Z Lok and Track mount for Apple AirTag
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I’m a fan of Hiplok’s original Z Lok, a steel-cored combination lock, which looks like a big cable tie. It’s a handy security accessory that’s useful for locking your helmet to your bike at a coffee shop or adding lightweight and non-scratching security to bikes on a car rack.
It could also be used in conjunction with Hiplok’s wall mounts in your shed or garage, but you might want something more substantial in this application.
The newest version of the Hiplok Z Lok Combo still has a lockable length of 45cm and a three-digit combination lock. However, it has been improved and now includes larger numerical dials, which makes it easier to operate with gloved hands.
It comes in four colours: green (pictured), orange, black and blue. Hiplok has also created a handy minimal mount, which can be fitted to bottle cage bosses and used in conjunction with Hiplok’s Track AirTag holder.
The Hiplok Track is a discreet holder for an Apple AirTag, which fits onto your frame via bottle cage bosses. Using an Apple AirTag in conjunction with the Findmy app on your IOS phone adds GPS tracking to your bike – great if the worst happens to your steed and it's stolen.
The Track holder can be stealthily hidden underneath a standard bottle cage for an even more discreet look, and can be combined with the Z Lok Combo’s bracket to have both a quick-stop lock and bike tracker in one.
Included in the pack are six security bolts, which require a special tool (included) to remove the holder. It also comes with a blanking plate should you want to use the Track on its own.
- Hiplok Z Lok Combo: £24.99 / $29.99 / €26.99
- Hiplok Track: £14.99 / $19.99 / €17.99
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Bontrager Betasso RSL GX TLR gravel tyres
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The Bontrager Betasso RSL GX TLR is Trek's in-house brand's big-volume rubber for getting rowdy on your gravel bike. It's an aggressive gravel tyre made for maximum traction and durability, and designed for loose and rough conditions as you'll find in the rugged area of Colorado it’s named after.
Trek’s Race Shop Limited GX construction combines a dense 60 TPI casing, and a square-woven nylon sidewall and puncture-protection layer below the tread. Bontrager claims that because of this, the Betasso RSL GX boasts a 350 per cent improvement in puncture protection compared to the GR2 Team Issue tyre it replaces.
The tyres come with Bontrager’s TLR hotpatch, which denotes they’re tubeless-ready and should be easy to set up when combined with sealant and a tubeless valve.
The tread pattern combines a tighter centre pattern for fast rolling speeds, which blends into taller, more broadly spaced side knobs.
The Betasso RSL GXs are dual-compound too, with a harder compound for durability and fast rolling speeds in the centre, and a softer compound for the less frequently used shoulders to provide maximum traction when cornering.
They’re available in 42, 45, and 50mm sizes, depending on your preference, and frame and fork clearance. They sound like just the ticket for rougher gravel endeavours.
- Bontrager Betasso RSL GX TLR: £59.99 / $69.99 / €69.99
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