It's certainly a strange and worrying time right now, but we'll be doing our best to keep you entertained and up to date with the latest kit and bike reviews, and keep bringing you First Look Friday, our weekly serving of the latest cycling goods to land at BikeRadar – which is now spread across a number of desks/sofas/bean bags in the south-west of England.
If you've been wondering if cycling matters to you right now with everything that's going on, Matthew ponders that very question and also looks at what other bike-related activity you could get up to if you're unable to ride.
There's been plenty of product news, too, and we've been trying out Endura's latest Hardcore Roadie kit, brought you first ride impressions of RockShox' new SID forks and shock, heard about Gore's new Fabian Cancellara signature series, and today we'll be announcing the winners of our 2020 Bike of the Year awards, so stay tuned.
We've also had a look at which five road bikes we think could be future classics and collectors' items, but will you agree?
GoCycle GXi
It’s now been a decade since we first encountered the GoCycle electric bike, and though the model we see here bears considerable resemblance to the futuristic design we first tested in 2010, it’s still very much a cutting-edge machine.
Unlike earlier GoCycle bikes, which were stowable but required disassembly, the GXi and its sister model the GX can be quickly folded into a fraction of their size, making this a viable choice for multi-modal transport.
The 17.5kg GoCycle GXi houses a 375Wh battery within its aluminium frame, providing pedal assistance to the hub motor at the front wheel for a claimed range of up to 50 miles and a charge time of four hours.
Clever and innovative thinking is in abundance with this bike. Take the stub axle wheels as an example; these, combined with a single-sided swingarm and fork, mean that punctures can be fixed without the need to remove a wheel.
A sealed drivetrain contains an electronically controlled Shimano Nexus 3-speed hub gear, which automatically downshifts as a rider decelerates. The GXi also neatly incorporates hydraulic disc braking, a shock absorber with 1in of travel and an automotive-inspired daytime running light, which runs the length of the handlebar.
Also worthy of mention is the full LED cockpit display that’s built into the reverse side of the handlebar and provides information on battery status, driving mode, speed and gear position.
There’s a whole lot more to mention about this bike but we'll save it for the full review.
- £3,699 / $4,799 / €4,199
Fizik Antares Versus EVO 00 Adaptive
This unusual looking saddle from Fizik makes use of 3D printing in order to produce padding that is unlike anything we’ve come across before.
Push against the saddle’s green padding with its hexagonal cut-outs and you’ll realise drastically different material density throughout.
The idea is that a rider’s weight is distributed dynamically, reducing pressure and providing the correct support where it’s needed.
A supportive yet supple tip moves back into a significantly stiffer mid-section, which then transitions smoothly into a plush section at the rear of the saddle.
A carbon shell and carbon rails ensure the 3D printed tech is part of something special. Two sizes are on offer, and ours, the smaller 139mm size weighs in at a little over its claimed weight at 160g.
- £369.99 / $399 / €390
K-Edge Garmin Integrated Handlebar System Combo Mount
If your road bike has an integrated bar/stem and you want a computer as well as either a light or a camera, options are fairly limited. This solution from K-Edge places a Garmin computer out-front and tucks your light or camera beneath.
A hinge at the centre of the mount allows for 7 degrees of adjustment at the computer screen, and it’s nicely finished at K-Edge’s Idaho facility in the US.
It’s a fairly substantial lump of aluminium that feels quite stiff – important for reducing camera shake.
Our sample mount totalled 49g without the two bolts used to connect it to the cockpit.
- £64.99 / $64.99
Spurcycle Compact Bell
The original Spurcycle bell wowed us with its charming looks and luscious sustained ring, but it was a costly piece that also took up a fair bit of space at the handlebar.
This revised Spurcycle bell is now sold alongside the original bell as a more compact, cheaper alternative.
Retailing for $10 less than the $49 original, it’s still undoubtedly a premium purchase, but its useful reduction in size means it’ll play much nicer among today’s cluttered cockpits.
Unlike the original, plastic is used in the construction, though we can confirm the bell still retains the reassuringly expensive feel and sublime sound we’ve come to expect from Spurcycle. It weighs just 28g.
For more information on the Spurcycle Compact bell head across to Jack Luke's first look article.
- $39
