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In this week’s Five Cool Things we’ve got a mix of small, lightweight, and small-and-lightweight cycling tech that’s currently in for review on road.cc including POC’s £250 sunnies, a compact rear light from Cateye, a summer jersey from Q36.5, Elite’s lightest bottle cage in the Custom Race series, and Castelli’s pro-level base layer. Here are the previews with the full reviews coming soon.
POC Elicit Toric Bike Sunglasses (£250)
POC’s £250 Elicit Toric sunglasses feature a frameless design and, tipping the road.cc scales at just 24g, they’re impressively lightweight.
The standout feature on these would appear to be the toric lens, which POC says is shaped to sit close to the face and is said to reduce airflow to the eyes while improving comfort. As with much of POC’s eyewear, the lens uses Clarity technology which claims to ensure vision is always sharp, while the frame is constructed from bio-grilamid which is a partially bio-based polyamide.
Available in ten different frame and lens combinations, the Elicit Toric shades are currently being tested by George Hill to see if the performance matches the premium price tag.
Cateye NANO60 rear light (£29.99)
Measuring 30 x 32 x 30mm and weighing 26g, the Cateye NANO60 is a compact rear light with six modes, including Daytime HyperFlash (20 lumens), which offers up to 20 hours of visibility. It also features mode memory and automatic low-battery flashing to help conserve power.
The included SP-14-RA bracket fits modern aero seatposts, and Cateye’s Snap System compatibility allows attachment to saddle rails, rear racks, and other mounts.
Jack Evans is testing this one so check back soon for his full verdict.
Q36.5 Dottore Clima Jersey White/Black (£200)
The Q36.5 Dottore Clima Jersey is billed as the brand’s most advanced hot-weather jersey, with a claimed weight of 105g in a size M. On the road.cc Scales of Truth, our test M came in slightly heavier at 120g, but it’s still a lightweight jersey.
Made from a graphene-polyester blend, the jersey is designed to use graphene’s heat-dissipating and conductive properties, aiming to keep you cooler and drier than many other lightweight jerseys. What sets it apart, according to Q36.5, is that despite its breathable construction, it retains the protective qualities of heavier jerseys, offering thermal protection on descents without a gilet.
Michael Drummond is currently putting these claims to the test.
Elite Custom Race X resin cage (£14.99)
Elite has long supplied bottle cages to professional teams and is widely regarded as a leader in the bottle and cage market. Their Custom Race X resin cage, made from fibreglass-reinforced resin, is the latest iteration of the Custom Race series and is claimed to be the lightest yet, at 30g – 35% lighter than its predecessor, which if my maths is correct translates to 10.5g.
According to Elite, the cage’s lowered profile is designed to make side bottle insertion easier on mountain and gravel bikes with compact frames, while the elongated front area is designed to make inserting and removing the bottle easier while riding.
Castelli Pro Mesh 2.0 Base Layer (£54)
The Pro Mesh 2.0 Base Layer is Castelli’s second version of their Tour de France-winning base layer, worn by pros including Remco Evenepoel. According to the brand, it’s made from ultra-light 3D mesh fabric and is optimised for use in temperatures between 15–28°C.
It’s available in four colours, including the white version currently being tested by Josh Price, and comes in six sizes from XS to 2XL.
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.
2 thoughts on “£250 POC sunnies, Q36.5’s hot-weather jersey plus more small and lightweight tech from Castelli, Cateye and Elite”
Not sure if your math is
Not sure if your math is correct.
I’d say their old bottle cage – of wich we’re trying to establish the weight – was the 100% in this calculation. With the new one being 35% lighter, that one would be 65%.
So 30gr = 65%, which means 1% = 30 / 0,65 = 0,4615, so multiplying that by 100 would mean the old bottle cage was 46gr.
Yep, so 16g lighter
Yep, so 16g lighter