Another Friday is upon us, but before you think about downing tools for the weekend, here’s your opportunity to catch up on all the latest bike news and reviews the BikeRadar team have curated over the past week.
Plus, don’t forget to keep scrolling to check out some of the latest cool tidbits to arrive at your favourite cycling website’s HQ.
Before the week got under way, our editor-in-chief George Scott and senior tech editor Tom Marvin visited the Sea Otter Classic show in California. They got up close and personal with some of the biggest brands in cycling showing off their latest wares, ensuring BikeRadar was awash with highlights deep into the week.
Back in a stubbornly grey UK, one show wasn't enough for us, as Jack Luke served up his pick of the new products from The Cycle Show at London's Alexandra Palace.
The rest of the editorial team hit the ground running too, with reviews of the Cannondale Junction helmet and Topeak Ninja Master Toolbox PT30.
Tuesday saw news of the Ultima Multipath, an ebike made of recycled plastic and alloy. At the tail end of the spring classics season, Oscar Huckle got his keyboard fingers warmed up to tell us what he’d love to see from a new Specialized Roubaix.
On Wednesday, Warren Rossiter’s review of the BMC Roadmachine AMP ebike broke cover, and we recounted the story of how the Catesby Tunnel – a state-of-the-art wind tunnel in Northamptonshire – came to be from its humble beginnings as a railway line.
Thursday saw Jack Evans school us all on how to make use of our heart rate and power training zones, while the BikeRadar team took the opportunity to fantasise about the bike they’d own if they won the lottery.
All this, and the team have been busy beavering away to make sure all the latest news and reviews continue to land on the BikeRadar homepage.
Now, here are some of those tidbits I mentioned.
Ergon SR Allroad Core Pro Carbon saddle
The Ergon SR Allroad Core Pro Carbon saddle might be a little over-named for my taste, but it features some tech worthy of note for road and all-road riders.
Inside lives a so-called ‘ergonomic core’ made up of BASF Infinergy material.
Infinergy is a 3D foam structure that’s claimed to dampen jolts and bumps from the road, also notable for its use in running shoes.
This is layered on top by orthopaedic ‘AirCell’ foam to improve sit bone pressure distribution, while the underbody is made of carbon composite.
The saddle features a cutout section to relieve perineal pressure, while it's available in two sizes to best suit bike fit needs.
A small/medium size features a narrower width at 139mm, while the medium/large size is 152mm wide. Both are 262mm along their length.
This model features 7x9mm carbon rails, which – together with the composite base – are said to reduce weight and further reduce vibrations. You can also opt for cheaper versions with titanium alloy or Cromoly rails.
We’re told that a women’s-specific version is also on the way.
It reaffirms Ergon’s established prowess in the road-smoothing stakes given it also makes the famous VCLS split carbon seatpost.
- £179.99/$199.95 (exc. VAT)/€199.95 (inc. VAT)
Lezyne Matrix Airtag range
American accessory brand Lezyne has sent us its range of Apple Airtag-holders – a boon for those of us who worry about leaving our bikes unattended.
With an Airtag device installed inside, the units enable you to keep tabs on your bike’s location – be it in a train station bike park, at an airport or outside your local coffee stop.
Sadly, you don’t get an actual Apple Airtag included, but Lezyne has helpfully created its Matrix ‘taggers’ so you can stow one away on your bike in three different ways.
The range is made up of the Matrix Air Cage (a bottle cage with the Airtag holder in the base), a Matrix Bike Tagger (an Airtag holder that attaches to bottle cage bosses) and the Matrix Saddle Tagger (a unit that attaches to saddle rails).
The saddle-mounted model appeals most to me – as a double bottle cage user, I’d prefer to keep the cages matching, while I wouldn’t want to give one up on my road bike.
The holders all mount using T25 bolts. While these themselves aren’t inherently thief-proof should the miscreant be carrying a suitable tool, it should take them a suitably suspicious amount of time to unscrew and remove the unit – should they notice it in the first place.
- Lezyne Matrix Air Cage: £30/$29.99
- Lezyne Matrix Bike Tagger: £20/$19.99
- Lezyne Matrix Saddle tagger: £18/$17.49
Restrap Tool Pouch
I’ve been searching high and low for a replacement saddle bag for my ageing (frankly, rotting) Topeak Aero Wedge for a while now.
While that bag has done me great service over the years, the Restrap Tool Pouch could be the very thing I’ve been looking for.
It blends a neat, almost classical design that works well with the steel tube aesthetic of my Fairlight Strael 3.0 workhorse, with a single Velcro strap that loops around the saddle rails.
The strap is thick and secure, negating the need for an additional attachment point on the seatpost. I’m glad for this, given Velcro straps (and any associated clips) tend to rub away at the finish of expensive seatposts over time.
The opening face folds over and fastens shut with the Velcro too, which removes the need for zips (these can corrode in the face of winter detritus).
The trade-off is the Tool Pouch isn’t quite as weatherproof as some of the best saddle bags on paper, but if you’re running good mudguards that shouldn’t be much of an issue.
Inside is 0.6 litres of capacity, with an internal sleeve to hold smaller items that might jangle about. I’m finding that’s enough for a tube wrapped on its 60mm valve, a CO2 canister, inflator and two sets of tyre levers with a little room to spare.
What I can’t fit in is my trusty 12-year-old Specialized Air Tool mini pump (I could, just about, in my old medium-sized Aero Wedge bag), but I suppose that’s what jersey pockets are for.
The Tool Pouch is available in black as seen here, or in olive green or orange colourways.
- £32.99/€39.99/$49.99
Schwalbe Natural Bike Soap
German tyre specialist Schwalbe has dipped its toes into eco-friendly bike cleaning with its Natural Bike Soap.
Reminiscent of the bars of soap you used to use in the shower (or perhaps, still do?), the Schwalbe soap is said to be 100 per cent biodegradable.
It’s also microplastic-free, perfume-free, vegan and dermatologically tested – at the very least, it lends confidence that there aren’t any nasty chemicals here.
Schwalbe says a single bar should last for 100 washes. When you consider the brand says one wash equates to two or three lathered applications, the soap has the potential to go a long way compared to many other bike wash products.
The starter set also includes a metal tin for storage, plus a horsehair brush, while the netted bag is useful to keep your wet-post wash kit airing.
- Starter kit with brush: £29.99/€29.90
- Soap: £7.99/€7.90
- Soap tin: £7.99/€7.90
