What’s been pushed through the BikeRadar letterbox this week? Our Friday five-a-side is a round-up of some of the cool road cycling and mountain biking gear that’s been delivered this week…
New road cycling gear
Salice Bolt helmet
Probikekit
ArrayA clever piece of kit, this. The Italian shades and helmet specialist has integrated a cunning rear light into the dial of the ratchet tightening system. Press once and it gives a constant light, twice and it flashes. Twizzle it around and it fits nicely to your head. It’s not the most aerodynamic helmet out there but with 23 vents it should perform well in hot weather.
£114.95 / US$222
Rapha Cross Transfer jacket
Rapha
ArrayA jacket for riders and supporters alike, the Cross Transfer is pitched at pit crews, supporters and riders who are getting ready to race or who need a jacket to throw on after the action. It’s packed with PrimaLoft insulation so it should perform well in the cold and it’s got the usual Rapha design flourishes, including a liner in the colours of the Rapha-Focus pro team.
£190 / US$295
AirStreeem Carbon Aero 50 Superlight tubular wheels
AirStreeem – an Austrian cycling and triathlon brand – has gone psychedelic for 2014. The company is offering its Carbon Aero 50 and fancier Superlight tubular wheels (pictured above) in a selection of natty colours, including this shocking pink. Performance is as bright as the colouring - German triathlete Rebecca Robisch uses them and she recorded the fastest leg at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in London in September 2013 on a pair. The 1,122g wheels (claimed weight) are only available in Europe for now.
£1,499.99 / US$N/A
Quechua Mountain Phone 5
Decathlon
ArrayShock resistant, waterproof and crammed with useful features and enhanced GPS, the Quechua Mountain Phone 5 is billed as the device for rugged outdoorsy types such as cyclists and hikers. At 82mm by 151mm, it’s a big Android unit. The phone is an exclusive to Decathlon and though it’s not sold in the USA, there’s nothing to say Stateside buyers couldn’t ship one over.
£199.99 / US$N/A
Hutchinson Fusion 3 Road Tubeless tyres
Wiggle
ArrayHutchinson Fusion 3 tubeless tyres have been around for ages, but the French tyre manufacturer has recently added this 25mm version to the family that’s big on comfort and puncture resistance. We’re looking forward to rolling out on a pair - they should offer an even suppler, more comfy ride.
£59.99 / US$105
New mountain biking gear
Azonic CFK handlebar
Kustom Bikes
ArrayThis new all-mountain/freeride bar would complement almost any setup, thanks to its good looks and low weight – this 790mm version with a 31.8mm clamp size weighs a claimed 210g. We’re told a 35mm clamp, 800mm width version is to be launched at the end of the month too.
£99.99 / US$149.99
Canyon Spectral AL 9.0 ex
Canyon’s rep for kitting out great frames with excellent componentry at keen prices continues with the bike we first saw at Eurobike. The Spectral is the German direct-to-consumer brand’s bridge between all-mountain and enduro. It's fitted with a RockShox Revelation RCT3 Solo Air 150mm travel fork, a Monarch Plus RC3 rear shock, SRAM X0 One shifters and Elixir 7 Trail brakes.
£2,700 / US$N/A
Kona Process 153 DL
Evans Cycles
ArrayWe tried out the 26in-wheeled Kona Process DL back in May last year and liked it. A lot. This is a revised version for 2014, a 650b (27.5in) wheeled beast that bangs yet another nail into the coffin of its smaller-wheeled counterpart. The biggest change though is new linkage design: a rear swing arm yoke connects to the top tube mounted rear shock.
£3,999 / US$4,999
Exposure Equinox helmet light
Evans Cycles
ArrayWe saw an Equinox dummy model at Eurobike last year, so it wasn’t the shape, weight or feel that grabbed our attention but the impressive spec sheet. Its 2000 lumens will turn night into day, but most impressive is wireless technology. It means there's no fiddling with a button to change setting – a wireless handlebar-mounted thumb button takes care of that. Various settings mean the battery will last between 30 minutes and 24 hours.
£264.95 / US$399
Mojo Suspension custom tuned Fox 34 Float fork
While Fox Racing Shox pro riders have access to their top flight RAD tuning program, it's not available to the general public. However, British Fox distributor and service centre Mojo Suspension are now offering a similar level of tuning to those willing to spend the time and money with their Pro Bike Clinic tuning service. It involves a full day of testing with trained technicians at BikePark Wales, complete with uplift. The aim is to get rider and bike working as well as possible, not just from altering suspension settings, though for those willing then pro-rider levels of suspension trickery can be carried out. We spent some time testing with them and this highly adapted Fox 34 Float is the result. The price is yet to be finalised, but don't expect it to be cheap.