Happy Friday! This week saw the launch of the new Canyon Grail, which has been redesigned to target the gravel race bike market.
After smashing around gravel trails faster than he hits the eBay refresh button, Jack Luke delivered his review of the bike awarding it a full five stars.
Elsewhere, we brought you a tech round-up from the UCI Gravel World Championships where Matej Mohorič won the men’s race onboard a yet-to-be-released Merida Silex.
We also covered the new Boost for Brompton ebike conversion kit as well as the new Zwift Cog.
As the nights draw in, we explained bike light law and updated our pick of the best mountain bike lights.
Jack Evans delivered two insightful pieces, on what he learnt testing nine energy drinks and on how to recover mentally from a crash, with insight from Lauren de Crescenzo and Ian Boswell.
Finally, despite the dust appearing to settle somewhat on teh Shimano crank recall, a class-action lawsuit has been filed in the USA against Shimano for providing “inadequate cranksets”.
Hunt Hill Climb SL Disc Tubular Wheelset
Who still rides tubs these days? With tubeless tech taking over in the pro peloton and, frankly, few people caring for the extra faff of glueing tyres in place, the answer is practically no one.
Except, of course, BikeRadar’s video presenter Liam Cahill, who’s called in this set of Hunt Hill Climb SL Disc Tubular wheels for his upcoming hill climb season.
The road wheelset is described as a “hyperlight minimalist” set of hoops “designed specifically for smashing KOMs and PRs”.
The carbon rims measure 30mm deep and are 26mm wide with an aero U-profile. Hunt says the rim width is suitable for tubular tyres between 23mm and 28mm wide.
The wheelset is built with TaperLock UD carbon spokes which are said to offer an increase in lateral responsiveness of up to 30 per cent compared to steel spokes.
The rear hub uses a 40-tooth ratchet drive with 9 degrees of engagement. The freehub body is drilled out for weight reduction.
This all comes together to create a wheelset that weighs a claimed 963g.
We’ll have to wait and see whether these wheels are the secret ingredient Liam needs to conquer the climbs this year.
- £1,399
Gore Long-Distance bib shorts
While Liam has an eye on climbing as fast as possible, video manager Felix Smith is looking to go the distance with these Gore Long-Distance bib shorts.
Gore says the men’s bib shorts are tailored to provide comfort over long rides. They feature an Expert long-distance seat insert and a dense knit construction to minimise chafing.
The front of the shorts uses Gore Windstopper fabric, said to make the shorts “completely windproof and breathable”.
While this may pay dividends over long distances, it may also prove valuable as we head into Autumn, where bib tights are yet to be pulled out of the bottom drawer but there’s still a chill in the air.
The shorts are sewn together using flat-lock stitching and are said to be abrasion-resistant.
- £199 / $200 / €199
Prologo Proxim X-Shred grips
Prologo's Proxim X-Shred grips use silicone and cone polymers. The silicone is said to offer cushioning and softness while the polymers stimulate blood circulation to eliminate numbness, which can be a cause of hand pain when cycling.
The mountain bike grips have a conical shape which is said to provide an ergonomic and secure grip.
The grips fit onto a mountain bike handlebar using a Lock System.
Prologo offers these grips with a variety of colour accents, including grey (pictured), orange, gum and purple.
- £22.99
Tubus Grand Expedition front rack
Tubus is a German manufacturer which specialises in bike luggage carriers with an emphasis on low weights, strong builds and globe-trotting potential.
The Tube Grand Expedition front rack is said to combine the benefits of low-rider and high-rider bike racks.
The low centre of gravity is said to provide lateral riding stability while there is enough cargo space on top for bulky camping gear such as roll-up mattresses and sleeping bags.
Tubus says the 780g Grand Expedition front rack can carry up to 18kg.
It is compatible with bikes that have either 26in or 28in wheels, and Jack Luke recently used it on his tandem for a trip around Scotland.
Jack says the fork crown tang required a little bit of bending to play nicely but, other than that, the rack went on with no drama.
- £195
