Welcome to another edition of First Look Friday, where we share some of the tantalising new tech that has crossed our desks this week.
We have high-end saddles with their own definitions of performance, a super-light stem, Trek's new half-face helmets and magnetic pedals.
But before we delve into that, let's look at some of our content clippings from the past week.
With the Olympics in full flow, we heard from Ed Clancy on the evolution of track cycling tech as he outlined the progress made between 2008 and 2024.
There was also plenty of news to cover, with Cervélo releasing its new Caledonia 5 endurance bike and Colnago releasing an unconventional, rim-brake variant of its C68 road bike.
Elsewhere, we had helmet reviews of the Rudy Project Skudo and Limar Air Stratos MIPS, as well as Gary Walker's latest installment of his Temple Adventure Disc 2 long-term review.
With that covered, let's take a look at what's in this week's First Look Friday.
Magped Enduro 2
The Enduro 2 is Magped’s latest gravity-focused pedal, which utilises the brand's neodymium magnetic technology.
Sitting somewhere between clipless and flat pedals, the Magped’s design sees magnets positioned in the pedal that make contact with a corrosion-treated steel plate on the shoe.
This plate attaches to the two-bolt SPD mount, found on the majority of clipless mountain bike shoes.
The brand says the design was born out of safety concerns because, unlike conventional clipless pedals, Magped’s enable you to release from the pedal from any direction.
Alongside the magnetic connection, the Enduro 2 pedals can use up to 16 variable-height pins each side for added traction.
Magped recommends finding the right pin confirguration for your needs and emphasises the need to set the magnet height when setting the pedals up with your shoes.
While the pedals could theoretically work with any two-bolt shoes, the brand says flat-soled shoes offer better performance and support.
The pedal features a CNC construction from aluminium and can be optioned with either a 200N magnet for riders under 80kg or 150N for heavier riders.
- Magped Enduro 2 150N: €159
- Magped Enduro 2 200N: €179
Pro Stealth Superlight saddle
Pro released its new Stealth Superlight at Eurobike earlier in the year, with the new saddle 15g lighter than the previous model at 130g for the 142mm-wide option.
The Stealth Superlight features a full-carbon fibre base, which integrates with the rails using a full handmade monocoque construction.
There’s a large relief cut-out down the centre of the saddle, which should reduce pressure on your perineum, while increasing airflow.
A polyurethane cover is used to protect the saddle and reduce friction with cycling shorts, while super-lightweight EVA padding adds comfort.
Pro’s Stealth design sees a distinctive short-length, wide-nose, broad anatomic fit to the saddle. This is said to help when maintaining an aggressive position on the bike.
The saddle comes in two widths, 142mm and 152mm.
- £280
Extralite HyperStem 1.25
The HyperStem 1.25 from Extralite is ludicrously light, with an 80mm-length stem weighing in at a claimed 69g.
Extralite says this impressive weight comes at no cost to rigidity, with the stem passing EN safety standard requirements by so much that it recommends it for enduro riding.
Made from AL 7075 Txx, the stem is 3D milled using Mazak's integrated multiaxial machine, which is said to take one hour per unit.
In the interest of weight savings, the HyperStem features grade 5 titanium torx bolts with rounded heads as standard.
- €199
Brooks England Standard Professional saddle
This limited-edition saddle from Brooks celebrates the brand's racing pedigree by reviving a design that dates back to the 1950s.
Based on a similar platform to the B17, Brooks says the design was originally conceived to stop racers from taking hacksaws to their saddles in pursuit of weight savings.
The English-legacy brand concedes the saddle is no longer light enough for elite competition, but says it makes for a beautiful and comfortable companion for modern-day randonneurs and audaxers.
For those wondering, Brooks claims the saddle tops the scales at 510g.
A vegetable-tanned leather top is bound to a chrome frame structure using copper rivets, with steel rails attaching the saddle to the seatpost. The Brooks logo features at the rear.
Hand-skived lower flaps and a distinctive side stamp define the Standard Professional.
Like all Brooks leather saddles, the top shapes to your sit bones over time and it's still made in England using traditional techniques.
This limited-run model is available in tan or black.
- £200
Trek Rally Wavecel helmet
Trek has launched a trio of new lids, the Blaze, Rally and Quantum Wavecels, with a few tweaks here and there to improve performance.
Wavecel is Trek's (and formerly Bontrager’s) crushable helmet construction, relatively similar to Koroyd’s straw-like material, which is designed to deform under impacts.
The material has had an update, with 10 per cent bigger cells promoting improved airflow, for better ventilation. Additionally, each lid has a little extra head coverage, for safety’s sake.
All three helmets get a full 5 stars from Virginia Tech’s safety-testing protocol, but you’ll have to wait and see if we at BikeRadar give them a full house of golden stars when we test their on-head performance.
This is the middle of three helmets, both in terms of coverage and price.
It’s Trek's do-it-all trail helmet, with deep protection around the skull and a three-position visor to keep sun and rain from spoiling your ride (kinda).
There are a host of vents, including a pair over the brow, which in our experience do a good job of drawing fresh air over your head.
A FidLock buckle is provided, along with Layflat cam-locking strap dividers. At the back, a Boa dial tightens it around your head.
In addition, you’ll find stowage for sunnies and a rear-strap gripper if you want to go rad and run goggles.
As you can see in the pics, there’s a Blendr mount – this is removable (thanks to the magic of magnets), and can hold lights and action cameras.
- Trek Blaze Wavecel: £199.99 / $249.99
- Trek Rally Wavecel: £149.99 / $159.99
- Trek Quantum Wavecel: £109.99 / $124.99
