Here’s a round-up of some of some new road gear that’s just landed in the BikeRadar office. If you’re thinking about upgrading your bars, getting new pedals and sunnies, or are in the market for a jacket to carry you into summer, have a look below.
Exustar Pedals
Pedal manufacturers Exustar have a new pair of composite road pedals, the E-PR100PPs (£44.99/$59.95). They’re compatible with the Look Keo system, and weigh in at 248g for the pair. Tension is adjustable, allowing you to tune their feel. The thermoplastic body spins on cartridge bearings around a cromoly CNC’ed axle.
Thomson bars
Thomson are better known for their seatposts, but they are expanding their range at the moment and have made these rather nice looking carbon road bars. Three different types of Toray carbon-fibre are used in the mid compact (£239.99/$249.95) bars, enabling Thomson to tune the stiffness and flex where it’s needed. Toray supply carbon-fibre to Airbus, so you know you’re in safe hands. The wing-section tops have a gutter in the bottom to allow cables to be taped out of the way. The drop changes with the width, and these 42cm bars have a 140mm drop and 78.5mm reach. They are available from www.i-ride.co.uk.
Castelli Confronto jacket
Castelli’s Confronto jacket (£120/$150) merges hard and soft shell performance in a stylish roadie waterproof jacket. The 10k waterproofing should keep you dry in all but the worst rainstorms and its water resistance is helped by a waterproof zip and high collar. There is also external, reflective tape on the seams. Good levels of breathability should keep you reasonably sweat free, with underarm vents helping with this. The fabric used on the Confronto has some stretch, to aid fit and comfort. Visit www.saddleback.co.uk for more information.
Endura Pacu glasses
Endura’s eyewear range continues to expand, and now includes this new set of Pacu shades (£79.99/$129.99). The Pacu features a photochromic lens, lightweight frame and adjustable temple tips for comfort. The one-piece lens darkens in increased UV light, so they should be versatile in mixed light conditions. Its light transmission range is from 54% to 12%, which should be useful for most sunlight conditions. The lens is vented and has an anti-fog treatment to reduce misting. They are available from www.endura.co.uk.
