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Both Tour de Frances are over, which gives us even more time to get out riding again! Not that we weren’t doing a lot of that around watching the races, as our busy reviewers cracked through plenty of bikes, kit and tech during a warm and dry July.
Nine products made the Recommends cut last month, and there’s some more info about four of them further down the page:
- Orbea Denna M20I e-gravel bike
- Marin Four Corners 1 Sword
- Merida Silex 400
- Genesis Vagabond 20
- Santini Ready To Ride Jersey Unisex
- Nimbl Exceed Ultimate Glide shoes
- Sportful Pro Sleeveless Base Layer
- Carradice Odyssey Saddlebag 26L
- Cadex Amp 3D saddle
Nimbl Exceed Ultimate Glide shoes
Nimbl was only founded in 2019, but Aaron reckons its Exceed Ultimate Glide shoes are already on par with the top road racing kicks you can buy… and they better be for £465!
While admitting the white colourway might be divisive, our reviewer says the shoes are “superbly designed and fully deliver in the beauty and performance departments”, offering supreme comfort, exceptional stiffness and bonus protection on the heel and toe pads.
Perhaps that price is simply unjustifiable however good the Exceed Ultimate shoes are, but if you can afford them, you won’t regret the purchase.
Read our review of the Nimbl Exceed Ultimate Glide shoes
Marin Four Corners 1 Sword
Buy now from Tredz for £949.00
How did a 13kg bike with mechanical disc brakes end up with a 9/10 score, then? It’s something our readers questioned in the comments, but according to our reviewer Simon, there’s a lot to love about the Marin Four Corners.
He says: “The Marin Four Corners 1 is a genuine touring bike with a wide range of gears, good brakes and a super-comfortable ride courtesy of its extra-wide tyres and all-steel frameset. It looks good, the saddle and bar are well chosen and, in truth, there’s very little to fault. While it’s marketed primarily as a tourer, it would make a great day-to-day machine that will tackle poor surfaces and unsurfaced routes with aplomb and the £950 price makes it a stone-cold bargain.”
You can’t say fairer than that… or maybe you can according to some of our readers, but it’s a winner in Simon’s book!
Read our review of the Marin Four Corners 1 Sword
Merida Silex 400
Buy now from Cyclestore for £1,650
Another keenly-priced bike that got a Recommends badge in July was the Silex 400, Merida’s mid-level gravel and adventure model. Its geometry is mtb-inspired, making for a comfortable and very planted ride, while the 2x Shimano GRX gearing and multiple mounting points make it very suitable for road-going riders too.
If you’re after a sensible do-it-all machine – that really can handle almost any terrain or riding situation – the Silex 400 is a great shout.
Read our review of the Merida Silex 400
Cadex Amp 3D saddle
Buy now from Giant for £349.99
Another vote from a road.cc reviewer for one of these newfangled 3D-printed saddles, and this time it’s the turn of Giant’s pro-level sister brand, Cadex.
As used by top-level roadies, the Amp 3D weighs just 149g and looks great (if that matters to you) while providing a very comfortable platform for rides of any distance. If you’re in need of a short-nosed saddle and are prepared to invest, the Amp 3D is seriously worthy of your consideration.
Read our review of the Cadex Amp 3D saddle
To see the full archive of products that have been awarded road.cc Recommends badges over the years, head over to the road.cc Recommends section
