11spd: This week’s best new bike gear
The latest and greatest from GoPro, wooly bits from New Zealand, rotors from Hope and more
Another week has come and gone and it’s time to head out and spend some quality time on two wheels! But before you pedal off into the sunset, why not check out the new gear that’s rolled through the door at our UK and Australian offices.
New mountain bike gear
Mons Royale MTB jerseys
Hailing from Lake Wanaka in New Zealand, Mons Royale is a merino specialist. Well known in the snow sports industry, Mons makes garments that perform well under pressure but can also be worn to après and around town.
We’ve got the short sleeve Temple Tech Tee and Redwood 3/4 Raglan T Dirt to put through their paces.
Merino wool is a bit of wonder material, it’s warm in the winter and cool in the summer but not quite as breezy as some of its poly based brethren. However, Mons has a trick up its sleeve with the Air Con Mesh, where merino wool is spun around a nylon/elastane core to create a lighter weight material, which Mons has used as the back panel for each jersey.
Both jerseys also see a slim fit and a drop tail to prevent the sun from shining where it shouldn’t. The Redwood ¾ T also sees an integrated goggle/sunglasses wipe.
Currently, the Mons Royale MTB gear ships out New Zealand and is subject to exchange rates
- Temple Tech Tee approx £82 / US$101 / AU$132 (NZ$120 + $20 shipping)
- Redwood 3/4 Raglan T Dirt approx £94 / US$115 / AU$150 (NZ$140 + $20 shipping)
Uvex — Finale Helmet
Named after the world famous riding location in Italy, the Uvex Finale helmet is designed for those who like to go full enduro. Despite its size, Uvex has tried to keep the Finale light, our large weighed 333g, so it should be good for those long days out on the trails. It’s available in a few different colours and doesn’t cost the earth, so would be great for the privateer racer.
- £69.99 / US$N/A / AU$N/A
BBB — Summit Glasses
With the nights drawing in it’s about time to start thinking about some glasses with clear lenses — low and behold BBB has you covered with its Summit model. They actually come with three lenses (mirror, yellow, clear) and cost around £60, so aren’t too heavy on the wallet. They’re available in a variety of different colours too if you’re not a fan of green, but we are, so it’s all good.
- £60.00 / US$N/A / AU$N/A
Hope Rotors
Renowned for top class components, Lancashire based Hope Tech has redesigned its floating rotor with a wider braking surface, which it says enables more compatibility with other companies’ brakes.
The rotors here are 160mm, but Hope caters for the full gamut of disc brake lovers with 140, 160, 170, 183, 200, 203 and 205mm versions if you’re into that kind of big rotor riding. There are six colour variations.
We’ll be testing these during the UK cyclocross season so should get a good idea of their longer term durability and performance.
- £40 / US$51 / AU$67
Five Ten Freerider EPS PrimaLoft shoes
If you want to ride flats throughout winter then the chances are your shoes probably aren’t made for the task. That’s something Californian brand Five Ten has tried to tackle with the release of these, a proper winter-ready version of its popular Freerider shoes. As you’d expect, Five Ten has retained much of what makes the aforementioned such a popular choice, so you’ll find the same Stealth S1 rubber outsole and low- or mid-cut options that you get on other Five Ten models.
A seamless, DWR-coated upper with a gusseted tongue section promises good sealing but should also repel excess water. Inside there’s a fancy PrimaLoft insulated liner that works together with a heat-reflective footboard to trap body heat. Should water make its way inside then that shouldn’t be an issue either as PrimaLoft is known for excellent moisture management and speedy drying times.
These are available in UK size 4-13 including half sizes. Our boat-like UK size 12 test pair tip the scales at 1,165g.
- £110 / US$140 / AU$N/A
New road bike gear
Muc Off — Athlete Performance Bundle
If you’ve ever been on the start line of a cold race then no doubt you’ll have smelt the familiar menthol whiff of embrocation rub. Well Muc Off has turned the rubbing things on your body dial up to 11 by offering a full athlete performance bundle of creams and potions. They’re designed to aid everything from recovery to endurance and while we haven’t been able to try them out yet, it’ll certainly have you smelling nice next time you ride.
- £72 / US$N/A / AU$N/A
Altura Podium Elite Thermo Shield Jacket and Baselayer
With the northern hemisphere slowly getting colder by the day, it’s no coincidence that Altura has recently launched its Performance Layer System (PLS). It’s designed as a three part system: a baselayer, a mid thermal top and an outer layer shield.
We have two parts of that system with the ThermoCool base layer and Podium Elite Thermo Shield Jacket, a combination that’s perfect for those dryer, chilly morning autumn rides.
Storage won’t be a problem with the Thermo Shield Jacket as it comes with a hefty number of pockets (five top entry pockets and one zippered).
- ThermoCool Long Sleeve Baselayer: £50 / US$N/A / AU$N/A
- Podium Elite Thermo Shield Jacket: £110 / US$N/A / AU$N/A
See.Sense ICON+ front and rear light set
Intelligent sensing, crash and theft alerts and smartphone controlled operation — it’s the stuff of the future. Well, not really but See.Sense has certainly got a pretty smart light set in the ICON+.
The 250 lumens for the rear and 420 lumens for the front are offered up by twin CREE LEDs with automatic environment reacting brightness.
It’s sometimes confusing with lights that offer feedback in the form of a series of confusing LED flashes, which you have to decipher using your personal Enigma machine, but See.Sense has taken that confusion away by offering even the most technologically troubled user a simple menu of options.
With a meaty 15-hour run time (though they don’t specify with which features or settings), you’ll hopefully get to spend less time concerned about whether you’ve got enough juice to last the rest of your ride.
- £150 / US$150 / AU$200
Lonely Planet — Epic Bike Rides of the World
If you’re thinking of tackling an epic adventure but can’t think of somewhere to go, then Lonely Planet’s Epic Bike Rides of the World book should help. It features 200 of the best places to ride a bike, from urban jungles, to crazy experiences off the beaten track. Even if you don’t manage one of the epic rides, the book is beautifully illustrated and put together, making it a welcome addition to any coffee table.
- £24.99 / US$35 / AU$45
Fat Lad/Lass At The Back — Beacon Jacksey
The Beacon Jacksey from Fat Lad At The Back might look fairly loud and garish, but it’s been designed to help you be seen without looking like a giant orange. Apparently a jersey with different colours helps you stand out in a wide variety of situations and different backgrounds. It’s also available in a female version and plenty of sizes to suit just about any cyclist.
- £79.99 / US$N/A / AU$N/A
GoPro HERO5 Black
It’s still pricey but it’s still probably one of the hottest tech gadgets to be released this year, and we’ve finally got our hands on one.
The HERO5 Black comes with a whole host of new features including electronic stabilization, voice commands, GPS, a redesigned menu and fully waterproofed without the need for a separate housing (we really like that last one!).
We’ve got a full review coming soon so keep your eyes peeled.
- £350 / US$400 / AU$570
