Five cool things coming soon from Fulcrum, Met, Apidura, Ergon and Quoc

Did you get out over the bank holiday weekend? Our team of reviewers certainly did as they've been heading outside to test the latest and coolest gear that's recently landed at the road.cc HQ; here are this week's highlights... 

Quoc Chelsea

£180

Looking for cycling specific shoes for casual rides and urban commuting that don’t look out of place at all while you’re out on the town? These Chelsea boots have a weather-resistant, “easy-care” two-tone leather suede upper and are also SPD-compatible.

> Best casual cycling commuter wear – check out our buyer’s guide

Front and back ring tabs are designed to make these fast to pull on, and the gravel tyre-inspired tread should help with traction. Tony Farrelly has been testing on his casual rides and will be letting us know how he has gotten on shortly…

quoc.cc 

Met Trenta 3K Carbon Mips 

£280

Met recently upgraded its top-end Trenta Carbon Mips aero road helmet, with the integration of Mips’ lightweight Air brain protection solution in the padding. There’s now 10 to 15mm of relative movement between the energy absorbing layer and the padding to reduce rotational motion transferred to the brain in the event of a crash. 

> The 10 best lightweight high-performance cycling helmets for 2022

The Trenta features Met’s 3K Carbon Technology which, according to the brand, takes advantage of the carbon’s elastic modulus, and has allowed for the density of the EPS to be reduced by 20%. With this, the overall weight of the helmet is also kept impressively low, at just 225g, even with the added protection. How does it perform? Jamie Williams has been testing and his full report is on the way soon…

www.met-helmets.com  

Ergon Bartape Allroad

£35.99

With this bar tape’s 2.5mm thickness and a medium coarse, counter-angled surface texture, pressure on your hands is claimed to be reduced, and vibrations are also promised to be dampened. 

> How to make your bike more comfortable - check out our 14 tips

Wrap positioning guide marks are incorporated into the bar tape surface pattern and the tape can be wrapped thinner/thicker for increased/decreased grip texture. Does this tape really make such a difference to comfort and ride feel? Stuart Kerton has been finding out and his full report is coming soon…

www.extrauk.co.uk 

Apidura City Handlebar Pack 2l

£63

Designed to provide easy access to carry city riding essentials on the go such as tools, keys, extra layers or a small D-lock, this pack consists of a large storage area with an internal mesh pocket and back slip pocket for organising.

The full-width waterproof opening should provide fast access on the go, and Apidura says it can be opened and closed with just one-hand while riding. Is it as convenient to use as Apidura suggests? Lara Dunn has been finding out and her verdict is coming soon…

www.apidura.com 

Fulcrum Racing Zero 2WF

£929.99

Described as the “gold standard among high-level aluminium road bike wheels”, these wheels now feature Fulcrum’s 2 Way Fit technology which means they can be used with or without tubeless tyres. 

Differentiated front and rear rim depth profiles are used, the front is 27mm, whereas the rear is 30mm. With an internal rim width of 17mm, Fulcrum says it can be used for 23mm to 38mm tyres. Ceramic Ultra Smooth Bearings (USB) have been used for low rolling resistance. Ash Quinlan’s full report on these wheels will be coming soon…

www.fulcrumwheels.com 

For all the latest road.cc test reports, head over to our reviews section. If you want some more advice before splashing the cash, check out our buyer's guides.