Newly arrived in the BikeRadar office are a handful of components from PRO’s Vibe range. Updated with new graphics this year, the carbon fibre bar, stem and seatpost are aimed at the top-end road market, with pricetags to match.
Made from unidirectional carbon, the oversize bar maintains its 31.8mm clamp thickness right the way along its length, making it ideal for those with larger hands – like Mark Cavendish, who uses the alloy version. Internal cable routing helps cut front-end clutter, and is compatible with Shimano Di2 wires.
Pictured is the compact 42cm version of the handlebar; it also comes in 40 and 44cm sizes, and round and anatomic shapes. Claimed weight is 190g but it tipped our scales at 250g. Available via Madison, RRP is £219.99.
PRO Vibe handlebar
The matching stem (£129.99/148g) is made from a mix of UD carbon and 7075-T6 alloy, with titanium bolts. It sports a puzzle clamp system which is said to reduce weight and reduce stress on the handlebar. Available in 80mm to 140mm lengths, it has an aggressive -10 degree angle, marking it out as piece of kit for racers only.
PRO Vibe stem
The seatpost (£159.99) has a one-piece UD carbon construction, with a twin-bolt clamp and titanium hardware. Two sizes (27.2mm and 31.6mm) are available to fit different seat tube diameters, and both come in either 280mm or 350mm lengths. The 31.6mm/350mm model here weighed in at 198g. Look out for reviews of the latest PRO Vibe kit on BikeRadar soon.
PRO Vibe seatpost
Pentax WG1 GPS
Pentax say their rugged new 14 megapixel camera is capable of withstanding a 1.5m (5ft) fall, 100kg (220lb) of pressure, -10°C (14°F) temperatures and 10m (33ft) water depths, which should make it ideal for muddy mountain bike rides. Housed in an alloy case, it certainly looks a sturdy bit of kit.
The other selling point is that it's equipped with GPS. You can't use it for navigation, but the camera stores the position where pictures and video footage are taken so you can pinpoint the time and location on your home computer using Google Earth.
Other features include a 2.7in LCD screen, wide angle 5x optical zoom and 1cm macro mode for extreme close-ups. It can film 1280x720-pixel HD video too, with an HDMI output so you can watch the footage on your TV. Available in green, grey or orange, the WG1 GPS costs £299.99. Look out for a review on BikeRadar soon.
Adidas Evil Eye Halfrim glasses
Adidas's Evil Eye Halfrim Pro sunglasses went down well in the BikeRadar office when they were launched earlier this year, and these new blue and orange versions definitely gets the thumbs up from us. Aside from the colours, nothing has changed and all the original features we liked are still present and correct – the slide operated lock-and-release lens system, rubber-reinforced arms, removable sweat blocker and fog-resistant lenses.
Expect to pay £169 for the Pro version, which includes two sets of lenses – mirrored and low-light orange – a soft bag and hard carrying case. The basic model, with just one set of lenses and no hard case or removable sweat blocker, costs £135. They'll be available from 1 September from retailers including Biketreks.
Muc-Off Dry Shower
Muc-Off have been in the bike care and maintenance business since 1994 and over the years they've expanded their original remit to include keeping muck off clothing (Foam Fresh helmet cleaner, Eyewear & Goggle Cleaner) and now riders, in the form of Dry Shower.
This is aimed at anyone who doesn’t have access to washing facilities once their ride is over. Designed for men and women, it’s derived from coconuts and is pH balanced for sensitive skin, with an antibacterial formula designed to stamp out odour. It’s available now for £6.99 per 200ml bottle.
