After a short break, we’re back with another fresh batch of Five Cool Things. This week, we’re going to take a look at a rather kooky take on the humble mudguard, as well as Bell’s latest helmet, Hope’s mental new stem and Peaty’s entry into the saddle world. On top of that, we’ve also got XFusion’s most recent enduro fork, so let’s dive in.
Before getting stuck into the cool things, let’s take a glance at what happened over the past couple of weeks. Last week, the first-ever National E-XC Championships took place, and as e-cross-country is a rather controversial genre, we got in touch with Tracy Moseley and the event’s organiser Matt Williams to find out how the National Champs came about, and what it takes to popularise the sport.
Speaking of racing, our Steve sat down with Bjorn Riley, one of cross-country’s most stylish up-and-comers, to talk about his approach to racing, and how he won his first XCC Elite UCI World Cup race.
Away from racing, we chatted to some key UK frame builders to chat about life after Bear Frame Supplies’ closure, to Thom Dawley of Dawley Bikes to learn about what it takes for the smallest of bike brands to thrive in 2026, and we offered our best advice on how to revive contaminated brakes.
Of course, we delivered some expert reviews on Revel’s Rover gravel bike, Hunt’s Enduro V3 wheelset, Santa Cruz’s latest Tallboy and Gtechniq’s Tri Clean.
Combover Front Mudguard
£15
Finally, the very lengthy dry spell has ended, so it’s right about time we all started reaching for the mudguards again. But Combover’s Front Mudguard is a very, very different approach to the usual mudguard design.
These ‘combs’ zip-tie to the sides of your bike’s downtube, claiming to be superlight (25g, apparently) and… aero. The benefits these bring are, of course, stopping mud from flinging into your face, but as they don’t attach to your fork, there’s absolutely no chance of interference with your fork’s crown as it compresses.
Although we’re not yet totally sold on the idea, the proof’s in the pudding, so watch this space for a review coming soon.
Bell 5Fifty Spherical
£229.99
With an angular and aggressive style that’s shaped to reflect the type of riding it’s built to complement, the 5Fifty is Bell’s latest helmet, crafted to bring top-notch protection to trail and enduro riders. As its name suggests, it’s sorted with Mips Spherical, a type of Mips liner that’s exclusive to Bell and Giro helmets that hides between an inner and outer layer that move together similarly to a ball and socket.
As you would hope for the asking price, this helmet is rammed full of interesting tech, including a motorsports-inspired diffuser which is said to suck air through the helmet and over your head. Of course, there’s a 360-degree fit system, and Bell has included a very useful sweat guide to keep perspiration from dripping into your eyes.
Additionally, there’s a three-position visor with space for sunglasses to be stored underneath, and they’ll be secured thanks to silicone grippers. Finally, there’s a quick-release action camera and light mount, and there’s a Fidlock magnetic buckle.
There’s a lot more going on here, so I’ll leave that for the incoming review to explain.
Hope 20mm Gravity Stem
£115
It’s funny how trends circle back around, right? Hope’s 20mm Gravity Stem looks like it was pulled straight off of one of Mondraker’s early Forward Geometry bikes because it’s fairly similar. However, Hope has taken into account a rider’s body position and taken advice from some top downhill and enduro riders to create this.
It’s a stem, no doubt, but it brings the handlebar higher on the steerer, and thanks to its short length, it also places the handlebar more in line with a fork’s axis. The brand says that this results in a more upright riding position that then develops a more central riding position.
It does that thanks to its 20mm length and 35mm stack, and rather than clamping around the steerer, with the steerer going through the stem, it sits on top with an integrated headset cap. As you would expect from Hope, this is CNC-machined from 2014 T6 aluminium, and it’s available in a whole bunch of colours.
Peaty’s Monarch Saddle Ti-MX
£89.99
Having launched grips in May, it was just a matter of time before the brand expanded its contact point range. This is the Monarch saddle, and it’s a little different to regular off-the-shelf offerings. That’s because it’s built to be serviceable. When your Monarch gets a little creaky, its rails can be removed just by unthreading an Allen bolt set on its underside, allowing for cleaning and complete replacement.
But the Monarch isn’t just about servicing, as it follows a one-size-fits-all shape with the brand’s Throne Foam and flex-tuned base providing comfort. Yep, there’s a pressure relief channel, and the ‘suspended rail system’ has been designed to absorb trail chatter for even more comfort.
Using a cover that’s constructed of 25% post-consumer recycled materials, the saddle is available with CrMo or Ti-MX rails, with the former option coming in at a rather friendly £69.99.
XFusion Vengeance38 HLR
£800
With Fox and RockShox always soaking up the limelight, brands like XFusion are often overlooked, but what the brand is offering for the price looks to be an excellent alternative if you’re looking for a fork upgrade but without spending thousands. The Vengeance38 is XFusion’s first fat-stanchioned single-crown fork that’s primed for enduro and heavy-hitting riding.
Although priced a little more reasonably than the big contenders, the Vengeance38 has everything going for it. It’s available in travel from 160 to 180mm, and it’s adjustable, so if you’re happy to dive into the fork’s internals, it just takes a shimmying of some spacers to switch between those three travel values. The fork’s Finecut HLR damper offers high and low-speed compression adjustments, as well as a single rebound dial, but there are also Neutra Valve pressure release valves that neutralise internal pressure, much like you’ll see on spendier forks.
It’s then finished off with a pair of Nvolve wiper seals and Blue or Sand colourways, the latter of which you’ll see in the picture above.
