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TECH NEWS
2022 five cool things nov 2 compIs this the future of mudguards? Five cool things coming soon from Ass Savers, Specialized, Prime, Magene and Bell
This week's highlights include gear for bikepacking, a bike radar light and a new helmet from Bell. There's also the latest version of the Prime Baroudeur wheels (will they get another 10/10 like last time?) and Ass Savers' new Win-Wing mudguard which it claims will offer all the benefits of a much heavier design. As always you can expect full reviews to go live on the site in the coming days and weeks...
Specialized/Fjallraven Seatbag Harness
£125.00
Specialized has partnered with Fjällräven to offer a huge range of bikepacking and adventure gear, and we've got a whole heap of it out on test. This seat bag promises 10 or 16 litres of cargo carrying capacity depending on which drybag is selected, and Specialized says that its compact size (45 x 11 x 20cm) makes it compatible with most frames and wheel clearances.
> An introduction to bikepacking – three ways to try it and what to pack
The seat bag claims impressive durability thanks to the Vinylon panels and aluminium frame. Other features include quick-release Camlock buckles, reflective details to increase visibility in low-light conditions and adaptable fixtures. Hollis Jones has been lugging all kinds of cargo with this one, and his full verdict is coming soon...
Prime Baroudeur V2 Disc Alloy Wheelset
£249.99
You're probably bored of us harking on about how good an upgraded wheelset can feel compared to stock hoops, but it's something that we think is worth repeating!
Prime has lofty ambitions to become THE value-for-money components and wheels upgrade brand, and these latest Baroudeur wheels epitomise that. In fact, it was the first generation of the Baroudeur wheels that scored an illusive 10/10. In times of rising prices, we're impressed to see that the second generation retains the £249.99 price tag.
> Review: Prime Baroudeur Road Disc Wheelset (V1)
Prime says it has added its ratchet freehub technology to the 26mm deep and 19mm internal rims, and continues to offer a long list of replacement parts to keep these wheels turning for years to come. John Stevenson has been putting in the miles on these and his full review will be up on the site in the coming weeks.
£125.49
Over the last few years, many of us have become accustomed to rear radar systems on bikes, and often these are now integrated into a rear light. Magene's offering, the catchily-named L508, comes in significantly cheaper than the compatible Garmin Varia (£169.99), offers a 40-degree detection angle and has a claimed range of 140m.
The Magene doesn't cut corners when it comes to modes and functionality either. There's a smart braking function, peloton mode for when riding in a bunch and a claimed visibility of 220 degrees.
The new device is compatible with Magene's own bike computers as well as Wahoo, Garmin and Bryton devices. Dave has been out using this system... will the IPX7 waterproof rating and up to 12-hour battery life ring true?
£209.99
Bell helmets first appeared on the scene in 1954, and have since been responsible for some of the best cycling helmets to hit the market. That said, the brand has been a bit quiet on the road scene in recent years, and aims to change all that with this new XR Spherical. For anyone after something not quite as out there as this bright blue contraption, Bell also offers the helmet in black, white and a rather good-looking 'Gloss Titanium'.
> Mips comes out fighting in helmet safety debate
The new helmet is designed for more than just road riding, featuring Mips technology which claims to protect from rotational forces. Like many of the latest helmets, this one uses a dual-density EPS construction.
George Hill has been using this lid to find out whether it really can balance sweat management, ventilation and weight to mix it up with the best.
£22.00
Ass Savers has been the go-to minimalist mudguard since 2012; so if previous success is anything to go by, we should take note of this new model.
Dubbed the 'Win Wing', the new mudguard is certainly lightweight, with this road version weighing in at just 64g. For those using wider tyres, Ass-savers also offers a gravel version.
> How to clean your bike - from a quick lick to a full makeover
Despite its low weight, Ass Savers claims that it brings all the benefits of full mudguards without jamming or rattling. We're not yet convinced the person riding behind will agree, but John Stevenson has used the rubber straps to attach the Win Wing to his seat stays and will be letting us know whether it's something we should all be going out and buying very soon...
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.
Jamie has been riding bikes since a tender age but really caught the bug for racing and reviewing whilst studying towards a master's in Mechanical engineering at Swansea University. Having graduated, he decided he really quite liked working with bikes and is now a full-time addition to the road.cc team. When not writing about tech news or working on the Youtube channel, you can still find him racing local crits trying to cling on to his cat 2 licence...and missing every break going...
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The reflective nature of the fabric structure, in in a 2 layer sealed fabric-means moisture cannot pass thru, The breathability claim is lies.......
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Driver injured after car flips onto its roof https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy0g9rpp8x9o
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£100 bonus.
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To be fair if this is our usual revenant they've got form in rewriting history...
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42 comments
I got the 530 as it was about 38% off. I couldn't justify the other models.
OK, during an activity you should be able to press Enter (top right) and select Light Network.
https://support.garmin.com/en-GB/?faq=H428bBYMVA3tX87Q40OE37
Thanks but unfortunately it says
Edge 520 Series | 530
Well, it's expensive considering it's within a fiver of the current price of the established brand leader. I'd expect it to seriously undercut the Garmin equivalent - for just a fiver extra I'd play it safe and go for the one with a proven track record.
Edit - mind you, USB-C charge port might swing it for me!
Its a different use case.
Radar is general awareness. Particularly useful for "Car Back" in a group and advance decisions about Road position (eg Secondary vs Primary). Its got considerably more range than your ears.
Camera is close pass support and reporting.
Arguably the opposite is true - a camera does nothing to help prevent a collision or close pass; all it does is record it so you have evidence after-the-fact. Radar on the other hand might* help inform your positioning etc. in order to actually stop an incident occuring.
* I don't actually have a radar device, so this is just theoretical for me.
The only use case I've seen presented that I agree is of value, it let's you know theres something there before you make a change of position on the road, however a shoulder check would be just as effective. The only time I'm generally shocked by something passing is other riders, but no ones ever said these can pick up other bikes and equally if people stopped trying to grab max aero benefit from you as they passed.
It will pick up other riders(s) if their speed is slightly different from yours - not if they're on your wheel and staying there. I believe it uses Doppler Effect and is triggered by closing objects, rather than big objects. I don't know what the threshold is, but mine goes off if the bike is parked and I walk up to it.
Yeah, I'm just sceptical that there's much you can do when a vehicle is coming up behind you. However, I use a handlebar mirror which can perform a similar function although it's mostly used for having a quick check for gaps in traffic for when I want to perform a maneouvre.
I still think a rear camera would be ahead of a rear radar in terms of usefulness.
It reckons to detect approach speed differentials of 6-99 mph, but as mark1a says, it will go off walking up to it, so I think it's more sensitive than that, probably around 4mph. Certainly it's picked up faster cyclists approaching.
I'd say it's of most use on country roads with light traffic, but still useful in town if you're not on a main road.
I also have a mirror and the radar means I don't have to keep checking it. I only need to look in the mirror when the radar goes off, then I can start planning what to do depending on the vehicle approaching.
I find it makes rides a lot more relaxed, as I'm not constantly looking and listening for what might be coming up behind me.
Absolutely that, plus it's able to detect the vehicle beyond the range of hearing so gives more time for a decision without stress.
This is getting worse with EVs more common as tyre noise alone isn't enough to overcome wind noise above a slow ride pace.
My friend uses one and it's audible enough that when I am leading I can still know vehicles are approaching, and if I am behind the increase of the light flashing is good visual signal for awareness.
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