The reviewers are really coming out of the woodwork now that spring has sprung. Here’s our round-up of what the cycling mags and sites have liked recently. Pumps, pedals, womens saddles, helmets, Gore Bike Wear bib shorts, Shimano XT disc brakes and plenty of other good stuff.
BBB Traveller mini pump – Road.cc
“Portable mini track pump; small, family light and affordable. The BBB Traveller mini pump is a practical solution for those wanting a track pump that goes places. Weighing in at 205g it is a little on the heavy side. It does come with mounting screws and is easily attached to your bike. Saying that, it is a floor pump and can’t be compared to normal mini pumps. You can tell a lot of thought has gone into the design of this pump. Each feature works well from the handle to the pump action itself.”
DMR V12 pedals – Road.cc
“Great quality flat pedals with tunable grip and fully rebuildable internals. If you’ve got a bike for shorter rides that runs with flat pedals then DMR’s V12s may seem like overkill but they’re a great pair of flats for everyday riding and well sealed against the elements. Weighing in at 430g a pair (there’s a magnesium-bodied version that’s 80g lighter) the V12s have a big platform and 10 studs on each side to give your shoes something to grab on to.”
Sportful NoRain Arm Warmers – Cycling Weekly
“Sportful hits the mark with good water-resistant warmers that are also warm and comfortable to wear. As you should be able to guess from the name, the Sportful NoRain arm warmers are designed to offer a little more protection than your run-of-the-mill thermal arm warmers. The warmers feature Sportful’s NoRain technology, also seen on the likes of the Sportful Light NoRain Top, a water-resistant fabric which aims to keep you dry without compromising on stretch and comfort.”
Prologo Kappa Dea T2.0 womens saddle – Cycling Weekly
Read the review | Buy it here (this is an old post and the linked content no longer exists)
“The Prologo Kappa Evo DEA is a striking saddle with its bold white and black colourway microfiber cover, semi-round profile and sloping nose. The Prologo Kappa saddle come with a light layer of polyurethane foam padding and sits on chromoly steel rails, which are etched with position markers. It’s also available in a matt black finish and black with red highlights. A good all-round women’s specific saddle.”
Selle Italia SLR Lady Flow womens saddle – Cycling Weekly
“With its huge cutout, the Selle Italia SLR Lady Flow provides excellent ventilation, but the reduced sit-bone support may prove uncomfortable for some. Better for those with wider sit bones. Selle Italia is possibly the most famous saddle brand on the market. Established back in 1897, they’ve got years of knowledge and experience in saddle making. The SLR range is aimed at more serious riders, so we were expecting great things from the Selle Italia Lady Flow.”
Uvex Boss Race helmet – Cycling Weekly
Read the review | Buy it here (this is an old post and the linked content no longer exists)
“The Uvex Boss Race is a great value helmet that offers price-defying adjustability and solid all-round performance. The Uvex Boss Race sits around the mid-point of the German company’s helmet range, not that you would guess this from the level of adjustability this superb lid has to offer, allowing it to offer the sort of fit we’d expect from a lid costing two or three times this much.”
Polar v650 GPS cycling computer – RCUK
“Okay, so this isn’t strictly a first ride review as I’ve used the v650 a few times now, but it’s basically early impressions on whether the new device from the Finnish heart-rate pioneers really brings them back near the top of the pile as far as training tech is concerned. First impressions of Polar’s new v650 have been good, but I’ll be putting it through a few months of testing before delivering a final verdict. Keep your eyes peeled for a full review.”
SKS Airboy XL mini pump – RCUK
“Overall I have been impressed with the SKS Airboy as an emergency pump, but there’s a little room for improvement with the connection between pump and valve. That said, I’ve generally found that there’s a balance to strike between having an effective pump and one that is small enough not to be annoying to carry, so while other pumps in the SKS range offer a higher maximum output, the Airboy XL’s main selling point is its tiny size and its ability to effectively pump up to a rideable pressure after a roadside repair.”
Giro Synthe review – RCUK
“The Synthe is sleek, comfortable, incredibly well ventilated and (apparently) pretty aero too. It’s a big step forward in aero road helmet terms as it makes the genre more accessible to the average rider who’s after comfort and acceptable looks as well as performance. But if this is in you’re price range and you’re after a new top-of-the-line lid, the Synthe covers every base better than any road helmet I’ve ever used.”
Gore Oxygen Partial Thermo Short+ bib shorts – RCUK
Read the review | Buy in-store only (this is an old post and the linked content no longer exists)
“These shorts are a fantastic example of that, and are the sort of top line kit that you’ll want to pull on every time you go for a ride. They’re ideal for early spring riding, or any ride where the temperature’s low and the wind’s picking up. In all honestly, the only real drawback is price, as they’re not cheap by any criteria, but if you’re in the market for a quality pair of early-season bib shorts in this price range then you could do a lot worse than these.”
Funkier Microfleece Bib Tights – BikeRumor
“Winter’s chill has been pretty rough this past month, yet Funkier’s micro fleece bib tight pants held their own, keeping me plenty warm on rides dipping below freezing. Deceptively normal in their thickness, but surprisingly capable at temps where I’d normally reach for a de-chamoised pair of shorts as an outer layer. With these, I could confidently head out with the mercury pointing at freezing.”
Bell Star Pro helmet – Red Kite Prayer
“Out of the box I found the fit to be almost unnaturally perfect, like helmet gnomes had measured me in my sleep. I didn’t even need to adjust the length on the chin strap. Construction of the Star Pro had to be two pieces in order to allow for the vent slider. Engineers at Bell took that opportunity as their cue to use a high-density EPS in the outer shell and a lower-density EPS in the inner layer nearer your head. We’re seeing this sort of design more and more. Testing has shown the lower density foam slows the head (and brain) prior to impact, reducing the likelihood of a traumatic brain injury.”
Fizik Kurve Chameleon saddle – BikeRadar
“The saddle uses a unique ‘Mobius’ alloy rail system and a ‘Re.Flex’ carbon shell designed to twist and adapt with your inputs. At 231g it’s no skimpy lightweight and it feels firm at first, but the long, flat shape makes snap weight movements a cinch, and the subtle way the Kurve moves with you dramatically increases comfort on lengthy stints in the saddle.”
KMC Missing Link 10 – Bike
“In a nutshell, the Missing Link 10R is a master link for 10-speed chains. Obviously, it works on KMC chains. Most of you, however, are probably running on Shimano and SRAM chains. So, does it work on them too? Neither Shimano nor SRAM endorses the Missing Link. Shimano would prefer you use their connecting pin. Likewise, SRAM wants you to use their proprietary PowerLock master link. Both the Shimano and SRAM products work well; they are designed specifically to mate with their respective chains. I can’t argue with that logic at all. But I’m also a cheap bastard and part of me loves that I can re-use the KMC link.”
Shimano XT M785 disc brakes – MBR
Read the review | Buy it here (this is an old post and the linked content no longer exists)
“The latest Shimano XT brakes are hard to fault, with true one-finger operation whatever the conditions. Awesome, manageable power is combined with rotors and pads that kept on performing consistently. We’ve already used XT brakes to cover hundreds of wet miles with only one set of new pads, so durability is excellent. Since the brakes aren’t the lightest, but the power is so great and consistent, we’d have no qualms dropping to a 160mm rotor on the front to save rotating weight.”