It’s the end of the week and time for another edition of our favourite bike tech round-up, First Look Friday.
As usual, we’ve got a selection of new and interesting kit to introduce you to, but before we get onto that, let’s quickly go over some highlights from the week.
Specialized stole the headlines on Wednesday with its announcement of a cheaper, aluminium Crux DSW gravel bike.
Based on its carbon S-Works Crux and created using its D’Aluisio Smartweld (DSW) tech, Specialized claims it's the lightest alloy gravel bike frame available, weighing a little less than 1.4kg.
At the other end of the pricing spectrum, our review of Partington’s hyper-light (and hyper-expensive) R-Series MKII R39/44 wheelset was published this week.
Their performance and novel construction certainly makes these wheels stand out from the crowd, but with a price of £5,500 / $6,400 / €6,000, we don’t expect to see many sets making their way to your local club run any time soon.
Off the back of Shimano launching its new 12-speed GRX Di2 RX825 gravel groupset, our knobbly-tyre crew had their say on things we want to see from a new Shimano XTR Di2 groupset.
We’ve no idea when one might be coming, but hopefully there’s time for Shimano to implement all of our ideas and create a winning electronic mountain bike groupset.
At the start of the week, BikeRadar’s managing editor, Gary Walker, published the first entry of his Temple Adventure Disc 2 long-term review.
His first gravel bike, Gary has already described the ride quality as “revelatory”, though he naturally has a couple of upgrades and personalisations earmarked already.
Lastly, it’s not long now until La Grande Boucle. That’s right, the 2024 Tour de France is less than a month away, and if you want to know everything about this year’s race, it’s worth picking up our official Tour de France Guide.
POC Procen Air helmet
Launched earlier this year after being teased in the pro peloton at the Tour Down Under, the Procen Air is the latest aero road helmet from POC.
In many respects, the Procen Air looks to be simply a cut-down version of the brand’s latest time-trial helmet, the Procen TT.
Taking advantage of the fact there are no UCI rules against ear coverings or long tails in mass-start road races, the Procen Air looks to offer the aerodynamic performance of a time-trial helmet with the practicality and ventilation of a road bike helmet.
It’s fair to say the Procen Air’s style is very performance-oriented, to put it kindly. Like the POC Tempor, we suspect it will divide opinion.
Nevertheless, though, if it’s as slippery as it looks, we’ve no doubt it will also find its niche among those willing to sacrifice looks for speed.
Like many time-trial helmets, the Procen Air uses an integrated, magnetic visor to improve its aerodynamic performance, and both mirrored and clear visors are included.
Helpfully, the helmet includes a set of magnets at the rear to enable the visor to be stowed out of the airflow when not needed.
Priced at £360 / $400 / €400, there are three sizes available; small (50-56cm), medium (54-59cm) and large (56-61cm).
The Procen Air comes in two colours – ‘Hydrogen White’ and ‘Uranium Black Matte’. Our test sample is a black, size-medium model.
Per POC’s specs, the Procen Air is fairly heavy, weighing in at 356g (six grams more than the claimed weight), according to our scales.
That includes the integrated visor, though, so once you account for sunglasses with a traditional aero road helmet, the gap will narrow somewhat.
- POC Procen Air helmet: £360 / $400 / €400
Hutchinson Caracal Race and Caracal gravel tyres
Unveiled last month, Hutchinson claims its new Caracal Race tyre (£54.99 / €59.99) is “the fastest gravel tyre on the market".
Using technologies borrowed from its latest flagship road tubeless tyre, the Blackbird, Hutchinson says the Caracal Race outperforms unnamed competitor models by “up to 35 per cent”.
This is, the brand says, due to a lighter, more supple casing and a new tread compound, both of which are claimed to offer significantly reduced rolling resistance.
At the same time, Hutchinson also launched the Caracal tyre. Although outwardly similar to the Caracal Race, the standard Caracal uses a thicker casing, a different rubber compound and a dedicated puncture protection belt beneath the tread.
This, Hutchinson says, makes it more appropriate for “everyday riding”, whereas the Caracal Race is intended only for racing on dry and hard-packed gravel.
It’s also slightly cheaper at £49.99 / €54.99 per tyre.
Hutchinson claims both tyres – which are only available in a single, 700x40c size – weigh 475g, however we see some differences between the two models here.
Expectedly, the Caracal Race, with its thinner casing and lack of puncture-protection belt, weighs a little less at 466g per tyre, while the sturdier Caracal weighs 485g per tyre.
Notably, big tyres were a key tech trend at this year’s Unbound gravel race (with many racers using 45 to 50mm-wide tyres), so while 700x40c certainly isn’t small, we wonder if Hutchinson might launch larger sizes in the future if there’s demand.
- Hutchinson Caracal Race gravel tyre: £54.99 / €59.99
- Hutchinson Caracal gravel tyre: £49.99 / €54.99
Restrap Race hydration vest
Hydration packs have become increasingly popular among gravel and ultra-distance cyclists in recent years, because they offer a way to carry much greater amounts of liquid and fuel than on your bike alone.
As its name suggests, Restrap’s Race hydration vest uses a compact, minimalist design and is aimed at racers. It has a shorter profile that still allows access to the pockets on the rear of tight-fitting cycling jerseys.
Despite this, it still has room for a large, 2-litre bladder (which is included), while there are two additional mesh pockets on the rear for additional water bottles, snacks or spares.
At the front, each shoulder strap features additional mesh pockets for quick and easy access to food or spares, while the left strap includes a zipped pocket for valuables.
The pack's overall capacity is 7.5l, with 2l reserved for the hydration pack.
It's available in two sizes – small/medium and large/XL – and has a claimed weight of 368 to 380g.
Built to deal with the unpredictable conditions of long-distance cycling events, Restrap’s Race hydration vest is constructed from X21 waterproof fabrics and features reflective details for improved visibility in low-light conditions.
- Restrap Race hydration vest: £139.99
Oakley Drop In D3O Knee Grd
Along with a dedicated mountain bike helmet, a set of MTB knee pads are a key piece of on-bike protection.
Oakley’s latest Drop In D3O Knee Grds [sic] are a downhill-focused design, with “heavyweight protection designed for aggressive riding”.
Made from Cordura – a tough, abrasion-resistant nylon fabric – the Drop In D3O Knee Grds include removable D3O EN1621 L1 CE Certification LP1 knee pads for moto-grade protection.
There’s also an additional layer of 3mm EVA foam padding on the outside edge of each pad for additional protection.
As you’d expect, the fit can be adjusted at both the top and bottom of the pads, via heavy-duty Velcro straps, while the rear of the pads is fully mesh to improve breathability and ventilation.
Available in a single colour (black) and five sizes, from XS to XL, Oakley’s Drop In D3O Knee Grds cost £92.
- Oakley Drop In D3O Knee Grd: £92
