Greetings from Granada, Spain, where I’m penning this week's First Look Friday. I’m recovering from finishing Badlands, an 800km gravel ultra-endurance race, and my various aches and pains are finally starting to subside.
We kicked off the week with workshop manager Will Poole’s rousing account of the Frontier 300, a route that crosses from the Irish Sea to the North Sea from Rockliffe, in Scotland to Hadston, in north-east England. The catch? You have to ride the 300km with 4,200m elevation in a single day.
James Witts then delivered a detailed review of the Wattbike Proton, a new smartbike that's designed to take a slice of the Peloton and Zwift Ride pie to appeal to the wider health and smart trainer market.
But by far the biggest news of the week was the announcement of Campagnolo’s Super Record S Wireless groupset. Sitting one rung below Campagnolo Super Record Wireless, the new groupset is claimed to be 150g heavier, with the crankset using a solid rather than hollow carbon construction.
However, it’s still a wallet-cleansing $4,299 / €3,390, which is about as expensive as Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 and SRAM Red AXS.
Campagnolo has always been a brand to go against the grain and has always regarded its Chorus and Record groupsets above its competitors' second and third-tier groupsets. Either way, be sure to check out our full review once we have a groupset in to test.
Elsewhere, Nick Clark brought us news of Canyon's new Spectral:ONfly lightweight electric mountain bike.
Right, now let me present this week’s new sizzlin’ tech.
100% S3 Bastille glasses
100% has launched its new Bastille edition cycling sunglasses, in a nod to the historic fortress and the similar spirit of rebellion and freedom portrayed by its athletes at the 2024 Olympic games.
A pearlescent frame colour is paired with chrome iridescent logos. The glasses then use the brand’s new Blue Mirror Photochromic lens, enabling you to see in changeable conditions.
We have the S3 for testing, which combines the understated brow from the 100% S2 and the intake vents of the Speedcraft. The glasses weigh 36g on my digital scales.
The S3s have a half-frame design, with the nose gripper extending slightly further along the lens’ base.
The lens is seriously large (but not as sizeable as the Poc Devour), claimed to provide 360 degrees of unobstructed visibility. The glasses have been given a hydrophobic and oleophobic treatment in a bid to repel water, dirt and oil.
The arms are straight and the nose gripper is larger than most, again with the aim of a secure fit.
I’m looking forward to testing these glasses on some of my evening and audax rides, where that photochromic lens will be of particular benefit.
- £179.99 / $185 / €195
Fizik Tempo Aliante Adaptive R1 saddle
Since 2019, Fizik has been steadily rolling out its Adaptive 3D-printed saddles of its popular models. The racey Antares, short-nosed Argo and triathlon-specific Aeris have all already undergone the 3D treatment.
But the Aliante, the brand’s endurance saddle, was notably absent as an option. Not anymore.
The Aliante is designed for those with less flexibility, with a waved profile that tapers gradually from wing to nose. It has a slightly wider platform to support the ischial bones – and Fizik says this improves stability and weight distribution for longer rides.
The current-generation Tempo Aliante, with a more conventional construction, utilises a cut-out for pressure relief. But this 3D-printed variant doesn’t, with Fizik instead opting for a softer central zone. The brand says this increases the saddle’s surface to better spread pressure across the saddle.
The Tempo Aliante Adaptive R1 is available in 145 and 155mm widths. I’ve opted for the 155mm version, which weighs 204g on my digital scales.
As well as this carbon-railed R1 model, Fizik offers a Tempo Aliante Adaptive R3 saddle with its Kium rails for £259.99 / $259.99 / €259.
- £299.99 / $299.99 / €299
Neutron Components Hitchhiker
Released today (13 September), the Hitchhiker is the latest release by New Zealand-based Neutron Components, the brand behind the conversation-starting Emergency Bleed Kit.
The Hitchhiker is an accessory mount that doubles as a spare-parts carrier. Constructed from an aluminium shell, the Hitchhiker bolts onto anything a bottle cage does.
You then slide a 3D-printed insert, which is what holds your spares, into the accessory mount’s shell.
There are three different options:
- Spare part carrier – brake pads, valve core, quick link
- Multi-tool – 2-8mm hex keys, T25, and PH2
- Airtag mount – a permanent fixture for an Apple Airtag, with storage for a spare quick link, valve core
If you want to swap between the different options, simply slide out the insert and replace it with another.
Rather cleverly, the M5x10 countersunk screws that are part of the magnetic locking mechanism that keep things locked in place when you’re riding also double as Shimano SPD cleat bolts in an emergency.
Finally, you can also strap a spare inner tube and other accessories to the outside of the shell using a Voile strap or similar.
Neutron Components has one more trick up its sleeve. If you happen to have access to a 3D printer, the brand has made the accessory mount open-source so you can create your own – and has provided detailed instructions on its website. Simply select the ‘Builder’s kit’, which includes the shell, two mounting screws and spacers, and four magnets.
- Spare parts carrier – £19 / $24 / NS$39
- Multi-tool – £38 / $49 / NZ$79
- Airtag – £19 / $24 / NZ$39
- Builder’s kit – £12 / $16 / NZ$25
Ornot clothing
Ornot is an independent clothing brand based in San Francisco, with a strong focus on keeping its work American-made and climate-neutral. The brand sent in a selection of products for test.
Kicking off proceedings is the Micro Grid Jersey, an interesting take on a jersey that aims to keep you cool in warmer climates and warm in cooler climates.
The secret sauce is the jersey’s Polartec Power Grid fabric, which traps heat when paired with another layer but allows excellent airflow, thanks to its lightweight fabric and fine grid structure.
The brand suggests a wide 13 to 22°C temperature range, but says that can be easily extended if used as a layer. The material feels noticeably thinner in the hand compared to the jerseys I would typically wear in lower temperatures.
Ornot also offers a short-sleeve version for $152, with an even wider 12 to 30°C range.
Next up is this cozy-looking Grid Thermal Hooded Pullover, which is constructed from a Bluesign-approved recycled fabric. It’s designed to be light, warm and packable, and features a kangaroo front pocket with hidden zips for storing essentials.
I can foresee this being in its element on fresh morning commutes into BikeRadar HQ and for changeable conditions on bikepacking trips.
Finally, we have the Ornot Lightweight Mission Pants. A development from the well-regarded Lightweight Mission Shorts, these are lightweight and stretchy trousers that can be used for commuting or mountain biking.
They’re made of a Bluesign-approved, recycled four-way stretch fabric that’s a combination of 85 per cent nylon and 15 per cent elastane.
There are two sizeable side pockets and two at the rear, which are zipped, as well as a smaller zipped pocket on the right leg.
The trousers fit true-to-size and I’m looking forward to seeing if and how they rival the (now dearly departed) Kitsbow Haskell Lighterweight Pant.
- Ornot Long Sleeve Micro Grid Jersey – $162
- Ornot Grid Thermal Hooded Pullover – $135
- Ornot Lightweight Mission Pant – $165
Rogue Panda Alamo
Rogue Panda is an Arizona-based bikepacking bag brand, with its Blue Ridge Handlebar Harness its most notable product to date.
Launched earlier this week (9 September), the Alamo is a new top tube bag range. The bags are available in three sizes – Regular (0.9L), Gordo (1.5L) and an extra-long Gordito Grande (2.5L), the latter of which I have here.
Like all of Rogue Panda’s products, its bags are named after sections of the Arizona Trail that run within a mile of its Flagstaff workshop, and the Alamo is named after the canyon.
The brand has really done its homework in ensuring the bags are compatible with the vast majority of frames.
The bags can be either bolted onto a bike’s top tube mounts or mounted using the strap attachments. If you’re using straps, they attach using specially shaped TPU spacers, with a stiffener plate to increase stability.
The TPU spacers are reminiscent of Tailfin’s V-mount system and because it places the base of the bag away from the frame, you’re less likely to experience paint rub.
The fact you also don’t need to use a third strap around the stem or steerer tube to keep the bag in place is also a plus.
If you’re simply going to bolt the bag on, Rogue Panda has engineered three possible locations for each bolt, again to increase compatibility. There’s nothing worse when you’re trying to fit a top tube bag and the bag’s bolt holes don’t quite align with the frame’s mounts.
There’s a substantial zip with moulded teeth, which Rogue Panda says is for increased durability, and an integrated cable port for charging electronics.
I’m looking forward to seeing how this bag fares on the trail.
- Regular – $75
- Gordo – $90
- Gordito Grande – $110
