Lock reviews (and testing them to destruction) return to road.cc — plus more cool stuff from Lake, PRO, Tru-Tension + Amazfit

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It's time for Five Cool Things again, and although it might not be the coolest purchase you ever make, a bike lock is certainly one of the most important ones when it comes to bike accessories and equipment. Read on for this week's quintet of products we've just sent out to our test team, with full reviews coming soon... 

Lake CX239 road shoes (£295)

2024 Lake CX239.jpg (credit: road.cc)

Lake's CX238 all-round road shoe has now become the CX239, to keeps things nice and simple. This shoe only launched at the weekend isn't even on Lake's UK website yet, but we're told this is the brand's "next generation of cycling shoe" and has a whole host of new features: an updated wrap-around style tongue with new BOA dial formation, a revamped heel cup to hold your foot more securely and some fresh aesthetics to make this the ideal shoe for "all day comfort" according to Lake. 

Worth the hefty £295 asking price? Stu Kerton will be reporting back soon. 

uk.lakecycling.com

PRO Vibe Aero Carbon Handlebar (£419.99)

2025 Pro VIBE Aero Handlebar Carbon.jpg (credit: road.cc)

An integrated cockpit "without the potential bike fit drawbacks" according to PRO, this new bar system from Shimano's in-house components brand aims to find a bit more than a compromise between aero and an ideal fit. Paired with the PRO Vibe stem, you get almost a seamless appearance with full internal cable routing, plus the flexibility of choosing your bar and stem size separately. 

It's constructed with T700 and T800 carbon fibre, and the tops have an anti-slip coating for improved grip. The weight is from 250g, and there are placement points fro Shimano Satellite Shifters. 

Can the huge outlay be justified? Ollie Smith is reviewing this high-end set of bars and will be giving his verdict soon. 

Buy from bikeparts.co.uk for £419.99

Tru-Tension FILLFAST Tubeless valves 

2025 Tru-Tension FILLFAST Tubeless Valves - 60mm.jpg (credit: road.cc)

Some big claims are made about these tubeless valves from Dragon's Den-funded cycle and motorcycle innovators Tru-Tension, including that they will offer four times more airflow than standard tubeless valves. This "sets a new benchmark in tubeless tech", boasts Tru-Tension, and you can also take advantage of the anti-clog technology for a less messy tubeless installation, plus a universal fit that can be used with any existing Presta tubeless valve stems and removable core Presta inner tubes. 

Can Tru-Tension's take on fast tubeless filling hold a candle to the excellent Reserve Fillmore valves that we rated so highly? The review is due later this month. 

Buy from Amazon for £25.99

Hiplok D1000 Anti-Angle Grinder Bike Lock (249.99)

2025 Hiplok D1000 - open.jpg (credit: road.cc)

While this lock might not be brand new, it's new round these parts because it's been a number of years before road.cc published lock reviews! We always felt reviewing locks required more rigour than most product categories, so we're now introducing a fully independent test of several locks each year before they go out to reviewers for a more general assessment of everything else. 

Much like our Beam Test for front lights, reviewers will use our lock test to inform their write-ups, while also factoring in value for money, ease of use and everything else that makes a bike lock good, bad or average. That test will involve destroying several market-leading locks of various Sold Secure ratings to assess how long they stand up to angle grinder and bolt cropping attacks. We're using expert advice to inform how we come at the locks, in an attempt to replicate some of the most common ways the average bike thief might attempt to pinch your bike on the street or during a break-in. 

Is the Hiplok D1000 still one of the toughest? Find out in the coming weeks after our test and the first batch of our lock reviews go live. 

Buy now for £249.00 from Amazon

Amazfit Helio Ring (269.00)

2025 Amazfit Helio Ring.jpg (credit: road.cc)

Ring-based fitness tracking might not be for everyone, but having the data spat out from a phone app is arguably bigger and easier to read than constantly peering at a smart watch. Enter the Amazfit Helio Ring, that offers heart rate tracking, in-depth sleep monitoring and 'stress-response' monitoring to help serious cyclists nail their recovery. 

The ring itself is crafted from titanium alloy, it's super lightweight at just 19g and it links to all your fave fitness apps like Strava and Komoot. Amazfit reckons a smart watch is more appropriate for handling work-outs (or a bike computer for cyclists), and off the bike the Helio Ring can track your recovery in the background for analysis later. 

Convoluted, or is this the most convenient way to get the most out of your training? Our review is due towards the end of March. 

Buy now for £169.90 from Amazfit

For all the latest full test reports on road.cc, head over to our reviews section. For more advice before splashing the cash you can check out our buyer's guides, and head over to road.cc Recommends to find all our top-rated products in one place.