If you’ve been riding through Ciara this weekend, you’re both brave and perhaps short of a full deck! Here is some of the best stuff we’ve been looking at and wishing we could go out and test this weekend, which may delay some of our deadlines…
£130.00
Proclaimed as “the ultimate ride pack for your life on the move”, the LAB.94 backpack has been refined following plenty of feedback from riders and a whole load of research and development according to Muc-Off. It’s also highly modular so when you’re not riding, you can slide out the back protector and hydration system and add in the flight friendly laptop protection sleeve to transform it into a general backpack. The LAB air conditioning system should fend off excessive back sweat, while the roll top design means you can make use of the 20 litres of storage capacity right to the top for less weight. Check back for Lara Dunn’s verdict towards the end of the month…
muc-off.com
£29.99
We know how much you love top tube packs, so how about one that mounts to the side of your headtube to stash even more snacks? It’s big enough to fit plenty of gels, bars and malt loaf or even an additional bottle, and there are three adjustable Velcro straps for optimal mounting and versatility across most frames; it’s also made with a waterproof material so your flapjack doesn’t get soggy.
freewheel.co.uk
Soma Fabrications Further water bottle
£11.50
Able to hold over a litre of liquid and fitting in 98% of standard cages according to Soma, this new bottle is aimed at endurance riders who want to go further without having to refill. At 30cm tall, the Further has graduated marks all the way up to help you get the right consistency if you are using hydration mixes, and is described as easy to grip and easy to squeeze thanks to the LDPE plastic construction. It’s clear so you can see exactly how much liquid you still have left, and has been fully designed and made in the USA. Did Joh Stevenson appreciate the extra gulps on his latest long rides? Find out in the full review coming soon…
southerndistributors.co.uk
£369.99
New for 2020, the stripped back version of the budget Dawes 201 is described as a “simple, lightweight and low maintenance machine”, ideal for commuting or weekend pootling. It has a 6061 alloy frame, 1x 8 speed Shimano Altus gearing and Schwalbe Road Cruiser tyres mounted on sturdy quick-release alloy wheels; this should provide you with wide enough gearing for most scenarios and suitable traction so long as you’re not venturing too far off road. Did Mat Lamy adore this Dawes?
dawescycles.com
£100.00
The Vinci is a more affordable version of MET’s top-level Trenta aero road lid, with the MIPS protection system and 360° adjustment fit system included. There are also two dedicated ports designed for securely docking sunglasses for longer climbs or during your coffee stop, and it’s also compatible with MET’s Duo rear led light. There are 16 vents to cool you down, and a reflective sticker to tick the visibility box – did the Vinci convince our tester? The review is due later in February…
met-helmets.com
For all the latest road.cc test reports, head over to our reviews section. If you want some more advice before splashing the cash, check out our buyer’s guides.
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6 thoughts on “Five cool things coming soon from Muc-Off, Pro, Dawes, MET and Soma”
The Dawes bike looks pretty
The Dawes bike looks pretty decent for that price, Id quite happily have that as a commuter.
Whats so special about a 1ltr bike bottle – there are plenty available on the market already at half the price of the Soma one.
Soma say theirs is 1.1L, so
Soma say theirs is 1.1L, so it’s just about the largest on the market by a couple of sips so they say.
I’m interested in that lovely
I’m interested in that lovely brown Surly in the water bottle picture.
Is that a Paul components sticker, what components?
Yes it is a Paul Components
Yes it is a Paul Components sticker. It used to be fitted with Touring Canti’s but I swapped them quite a few years ago for TRP CX9’s. That colour was officially called Beef Gravy Brown and it’s on a 2009 Cross Check. Most people dislike it which is fine by me.
one L bottles, in fact
one L bottles, in fact anything over 600m bottles doesnt work with M4 bottle cage bolts. Have a look at ANY triathlon bike and there is at least one of 4 bottle bolts loose or busted. 1 L of liquid is 1 kg in and m4 carbon frame boss doesnt go.
They can be fine, although i
They can be fine, although i’m guessing from the last sentance you might be focussing on twin bolt bottle cages on carbon frames in particular – yes, there can be issues – no, it’s not mandatory. There’s plenty of triathlon bikes with nothing wrong with the cage bolts and mounts, there’s plenty of people running twin bolt setups with 750+ml bottles doing ultra-long distance work with no problems, there’s plenty of people running 32floz bottles on long-distance and competitive gravel events in twin bolt setups with no straps and so on. If you want to, and have the bosses, then a 3 bolt cage gives extra safety (with the same M4 bosses and bolts), ditto straps – but we’re really talking about 1L+ bottles and rough usage. The almost complete absence of a worldwide scandal about 750ml bottles and busted frames seems to indicate there really isn’t a major issue, let alone “doesnt work”.