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...
£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.
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
£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 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
£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.
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
£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
£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.
I see about one person/month riding along with the forks on backwards. Usually this is a kid at the local BMX track and the parents don't know...
Lots of drivers round my way remove the reg plates from their cars so they can drive through the LTN sections of road. Quite a few have plates...
I mean seriously people - it's an open goal right there...
Yes, most unexpected. I was so surprised at not seeing the usual Gammon bollocks under a cycling-related story that I nearly stopped for a red light.
Intrepid investigive journalist uses taxi to get to traffic chaos street but somehow forgets local and important mayoral elections close local...
I've seen Pogacar on 170 and 165 cranks too
I was waiting for a cyclingMikey character to stop in the middle of the cycle route incanting "You will not pass".
There's discussion of that here: https://road.cc/content/news/uk-government-review-motorists-caught-out-c...
Also to reduce the likelihood of payments by insurance companies if they can show that a cyclist victim wasn't wearing a helmet or wearing it...
I have done it but whilst making you feel better, apart from the occasional sore hand, it always inflamed the situation. ...