£500 for a stem!? Five cool things coming soon from Rapha, Mavic, Wolf Tooth, Bolle and Mythos

Read on to find out how Rapha's new gravel jersey differs from its road offerings and to see a stem that costs as much as some bikes. This week's highlights also include some shades spotted in the Tour de France, a nifty way of carrying tools on rides and the return of Mavic with their new Kysrium wheelset. You can expect to see these and many more products reviewed on road.cc in the coming days and weeks…

Rapha Men's Pro Team Gravel Jersey

£175.00

How does a gravel jersey differ from any other jersey I hear you ask...well, Rapha's solution is to add two additional pockets (now five), remove a quarter of the zip (it's now a three-quarter design), use some funky materials and make it more see-through. Has this worked? Steve Williams has been putting in the gravel miles to find out.

Rapha says that this is an "Elite-Level Off-Road Jersey" for pure gravel racing performance in mild to hot conditions. It has a raised collar and UV protective fabric in a highly compressive, aerodynamic fit. Steve's full verdict on whether this £175 jersey should be your next gravel race essential is dropping soon...

www.rapha.co.uk

Mythos Elix Stem

£500.00

Nope that isn't a typo... this stem really does have an RRP of £500! Why? Because it's made using everyone's favourite new manufacturing technique, 3D printing. The stem is made from 'Scalmalloy' - a Scandium, aluminium alloy developed for MiG aircraft.

> Mythos releases quirky 3D printed Elix stem

Mythos says that the Elix is "15% stiffer in torsion than an equivalent alloy stem while maintaining the same bending stiffness, so you can put more power down when you need to and still stay comfy on the rough stuff." Stu has been putting it through its paces to see whether this is the future or a flash in the pan.

www.mythos.com

Bolle C-Shifter Sunglasses

£145.00

The Bolle C-Shifter is another pair of supersized sunnies that you might have seen in the recent Tour de France on the faces of FDJ riders. Bolle claims that the half rim shield provides excellent ventilation and the TR90 nylon frame is light, flexible and comfortable. Ian Rockey has been tasked with finding out whether that's true.

This particular pair feature Bolle's 'VOLT' high contrast lens which has 16% light transmission and a claimed "30%" increase in colour enhancement. Do you like the look of the new Bolle shades? Let us know in the comments below...

www.bolle.com

Wolf Tooth Axle Handle Multi-Tool

£32.00

Wolf Tooth reckons it has got the perfect solution for thru-axle users to carry all the tools they need without clogging up pockets or saddle bags. It's available in eight different colours to suit a wide range of bikes and tools include: 2.5mm/3mm and 2mm/4mm hexes, T10/T25 Torx-compatible bit, Flat head #3.5/Phillips #2 screwdrivers bit.

An additional hex, with a 5mm hex end stepped to 6mm closer to the handle, lives permanently within the axle end of the handle. With the help of a receiver nut, this connects the Axle Handle to any Wolf Tooth axle (not included). Has the axle handle multi-tool been able to complete Mike Stead's roadside repairs? His full review is coming soon...

www.wolftoothcomponents.com

Mavic Ksyrium 30 Disc Wheelset

£350.00

Like a phoenix, Mavic is back and how successful its return is will surely depend on this wheelset, the Ksyrium 30. The Kysrium is an absolute classic in the Mavic range, aiming to combine performance and value.

Like the name suggests these are 30mm deep, disc brake specific and made from aluminium, feature Mavic's UST tubeless tech and weighed in on our scales at a not-so-light 1,790g. They have 24 spokes front and rear and can be used off-road as long as you're not jumping off things bigger than 15cm. Steve Williams has been putting these through their paces to see whether they can compete with the stiff competition at the £350 price point.

www.mavic.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.