It’s like Christmas everyday at road.cc Towers for our review team. Here’s some of the latest kit that’s out on test…
£1700
These 40mm deep carbon clincher wheels weigh in at 1450g for the pair, with Cole’s patented DSA hubs to allow for high spoke tension and better power transfer. The straight-pull, butted spokes are supposed to eliminate the stress and breakage of traditional j-bend spokes.
The wheels are treated with Heat Shield tech to minimise heat when braking, and Cole’s Pink Pad braking compound offers “class-leading performance” according to Cole. We’ll be putting these £1700 hoops through their paces shortly…
£28.99
Schwalbe say the X-One gravel is one of the fastest cross tyres ever, with their One Star rubber compound optimised for better rolling resistance. Schwalbe recommend they’re run tubeless always, and you can run them at very low pressures for cyclocross on tubeless-compatible wheels without any pressure being leaked during your ride. Dave Atkinson’s verdict will be live on road.cc shortly…
Leyzene Digital Pressure Overdrive
£139.99
With a classy wooden handle and digital LCD display system, the Digital Pressure Overdrive from Lezyne is a cut above your average floor pump. It has tubeless seating and a high grade aluminium barrel, and works by pumping a central chamber up to 220psi. Once it’s filled you attach to the valve (presta or Schrada) release a foot pedal and the pressure is released, inflating the tyre instantaneously. Leyzene say it pumps tyres up in seconds and it certainly looks convenient, but £140 worth of convenient? Dave Arthur is testing now…
Rapha Packable Waterproof Jacket
£160.00
This emergency rain jacket from Rapha is a bit more robust than your average packable jacket, being fully waterproof and supposedly capable of withstanding far more than a light shower. It’s made from the same lightweight nylon fabric used in Rapha’s Core rain jacket, has windproof properties and zip pockets at the front. Safety features include a high-vis collar and useful high-vis straps on the cuffs so you can be seen when signalling in the dark or low light.
As to be expected from a piece of Rapha gear £160 is a lot of cash, but is it justified? Our reviewer George Hill’s verdict will be in next month…
Hill and Ellis Professor Bike Bag
£195.00
Hill and Ellis was founded in 2012 by Catherine Ellis, who after being unable to find a suitably stylish bike bag anywhere, decided to start manufacturing her own to fill the gap in the market. The Professor bag is crafted in Britain, with luxurious leather beige straps, discrete pannier hooks and a waterproof cover included for when the heavens open.
Hill and Ellis say the bag is “perfect for your ride around town, to the varsity bar or to the university boat race” and “the ideal present for any Oxtonian” – which may narrow the target market down somewhat, but you can’t deny it looks like a fine piece of leatherwear. Our reviewer Simon MacMichael (not an Oxtonian) is currently swanning round the Cotswolds with the Professor in tow before delivering his verdict soon…
Head to our reviews section for all the latest in-depth product reviews by road.cc’st team…
12 thoughts on “Five cool new products coming soon to road.cc”
That Lezyne pump is a
That Lezyne pump is a warranty return waiting to happen…
turboprannet wrote:
I’m curious… Why?
Have had mine for several months now and actually prefer it to my Lezyne Steel Floor Drive.
Have used it to pop tubeless Schalbe G-One and G-One Speed tyres back which it does as well as the Airshot tank.
One issue that is disconcerting – when the ABS2 chuck is released, the air inside the tank hisses out which makes you think the tyre is deflating. Also shows odd readings until pressure in tank has matched tyre pressure when inflating tyres.
It’s big and bulky, but now that I’m used to it’s quirks, it’s my favourite track pump and gets used several times a week without problem.
IanD wrote:
I’ve had a whinge on here before so I don’t want to go on and on but I’ve had some very, very frustrating experiences with Lezyne kit. CO2 pumps disintegrating, mini pumps failing, saddle bag zip failing and throwing everything into the road, lights breaking and/or ejecting into the road.
I’d never buy something from them now unless they were the only company in the market doing it. Fool me 15 times and all that.
Quote:
I always thought the word was “Oxonian”. But clearly I’ve been making a terrible fool of myself all these years. Presumably the added “t” is to differentiate between “members of Oxford University” and “users of Oxo cubes”.
Quote:
Oxtonian means from Oxton, in other words a ipster.
Ffs £200 for a schoolbag…
Ffs £200 for a schoolbag…
That bag is the sort of thing
That bag is the sort of thing you spend your money on when you’ve bought absolutely everything else that it’s possible to buy for cycling and you still need to buy something! A lorra lorra cash.
I don’t get the reason behind
I don’t get the reason behind the targeted hate for the bag on this list of overpriced products. So 1700£ is a normal price for wheels or 160£ for a plastic rain cover? Of course that bag is overpriced too, but it seems to match more everyday people than the pro cycling kit
cyclisto wrote:
The other expensive items are marketed as being technologically superior with low weight, yet high strength and thus performing remarkably well. That bag isn’t particularly lightweight or performance enhancing, but just looks appealling to their target market.
hawkinspeter wrote:
I think compared to the price of a lot of non cycling leather bags the price isn’t particularly steep. You’d pay something similar for a bag from the cambridge satchel company and they don’t attach to a rack.
RobD wrote:
Yep!
Wife buys handbag > this price range….silence
I buy cycling shoes < this price range….ma wha ma wha ma wha…meh blah blah blah…
well at least that’s what I think she said, I was rather distracted staring at my new disco slippers in the mirror…
I wouldn’t trust these wheels
I wouldn’t trust these wheels for my road/light gravel/potholes needs, so strength is really questionable. As far as the weight thing, I bet that 80% of their buyers could gain the weight difference between their stock wheels and these ones if they adjusted slightly their nutrition in less than 2 weeks. I will leave the China made-Monaco priced Rapha stuff for the rest of the anti-Rapha brigade. On the other hand anyone who has had good soft yet robust leather goods that last for years can appreciate such products.
But the most important thing is that quality casual cyclist equipment is a thing that you are using it as a pro since commuting is a necessary part of our jobs, and therefore stuff that work and look good on and off bike help us bring money home and look good to girls, which are the most important things in our society. Specialised racing equipment that brings overpriced minimal performance gains, that could have been achieved with just a little effort extra and for competition you aren’t being paid seems a little absurd to me. The pros are being paid to compete and their improvement margins are really tight so they justify using such stuff. And as I said before, apart keeping our bosses or clients happy, it is equally important keeping our women happy, I doubt if there is a non cycling geek girl that will say: “OMG!! Are these carbon wheels?? I am in love with you now”. For right or wrong though, this actually happens with good clothing…