Shimano packs S-Phyre tech and style into £140 shoe, plus more 2020 kit highlights
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Shimano packs S-Phyre tech and style into £140 shoe, plus more 2020 kit highlights

Highlights from this year's IceBike trade show

Matthew Loveridge / Immediate Media

Published: February 20, 2020 at 11:36 am

Shimano's new RC5 road shoe offers a touch of S-Phyre glamour at less than half the price of the flagship model. We got the chance to fondle these new kicks at distributor Madison's annual IceBike trade show, and lay hands on more 2020 kit for the first time.

We've already taken a look at Park Tool's new goodies, including some very useful looking brake bleeding kits, and a new biodegradable bottle from Elite. We've also ogled Genesis Bikes' rather lovely 2020 paint jobs.

Read on for more highlights from this year's show.

Shimano RC5 shoes

Shimano has launched a mid-range road shoe called the RC5 that bears a striking resemblance to the range-topping (and very expensive) S-Phyres.

Priced at £139.99 and available in both men's and women's versions, the RC5 features a carbon-reinforced sole and a single BOA L6 'skeleton' dial, the latter apparently being exclusive to Shimano.

Ryder Slyder tyre levers

Ryder Slyder tyre levers
These neat little levers clip together for easy transport. - Matthew Loveridge / Immediate Media

Ryder was showing off its new tyre levers, which it hinted might be the lightest in the world, although we've no way to verify this claim.

The levers feature reinforced tips for durability and they clip together for transport, and fit into Ryder's nifty Slyder storage system.

Tool storage system mounted to bottle cage bosses of dummy frame
The levers are part of Ryder's Slyder storage system, wherein various accessories clip to a bracket mounted on your bottle cage bosses. - Matthew Loveridge / Immediate Media

Lazer Chiru helmet

Lazer Chiru helmet
The Lazer Chiru is a very affordable trail helmet. - Matthew Loveridge / Immediate Media

The Chiru is Lazer's latest mountain bike helmet and it's a very affordable one at just £30 for the standard model, and £50 for the MIPS version.

Claimed weights are 300g and 350g respectively, and a whole range of colours is available.

Profile Design gravel and adventure aero bar

Long-distance gravel and adventure riders like to have as many hand positions as possible to stay comfortable on the bike, and many are now fitting aero extensions for a stretched out option suited to cruising at speed, as well as a potential performance benefit.

Profile Design offers seemingly infinite aero options and the brand was showing off a full gravel rig fitted with a short one-piece aero bar and sprung arm-rests.

Ridgeback MK5 cargo trike

3-wheeled cargo bike with rain cover over
The MK5 is functionally more akin to a family hatchback than a typical cargo bike. - Matthew Loveridge / Immediate Media

Having dipped a tentative toe in cargo bike waters last year with the Cargo-E, Ridgeback has now launched a full-fledged e-cargo trike, complete with seatbelts for children and a cover to protect them from the elements.

Prematurely aging bike journalist sitting in cargo trike
Cargo capacity is roughly four small children or one disgruntled bike journalist who manspreads. - Jack Luke / Immediate Media

The MK5 is powered by a Promovec motor and will cost £3,599. A quick spin outside Milton Keynes' Marshall Arena demonstrated the comedy value of riding a trike on two wheels and the remarkably short fuse of one of the venue's security guards.

What kit are you looking forward to in 2020? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.