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The "ultimate" cycling reflective, the "fastest and most protective" helmet and pedals for indoor cycling: Five cool things from Ekoi, Look, Pedla, Kommit and Revoloop

Has Proviz got some competition when it comes to bucket loads of reflectiveness, and can Revoloop's take on the ultra-lightweight inner tube challenge more established rivals? We're trying them out right now with full verdicts due soon

It's nearly the end of January, which means lighter evenings are coming and only another eight or so weeks of threateningly chilly temperatures (or perhaps nine weeks if that weird winter of 2013 with snow over Easter repeats itself). We're signing off the last few bits of off-season and indoor training stuff at the moment, and here are previews of some of the most interesting amongst them before the full reviews land... 

Look Indoor Dual clipless pedals (£99.90)

2023 Look Indoor Dual clipless pedals.jpg

You might have seen rustier versions of these at your gym, but the increasing number of us with sophisticated indoor training set-ups means there's now likely a decent-sized market for dual-sided pedals that work with road or mountain bike/commuter-style pedals. Maybe you and family members share a smart bike and each of you prefer different pedal systems, or you swap bikes on your turbo trainer regularly? In either of these situations, Look's Indoor Dual pedals appear to offer a decent solution for just under 100 quid.  

> Best clipless pedals

Look promises "a more complete and efficient movement, quiet and fluid pedal action as you become one with the bike and improve your endurance". Compared to what we're not sure, but it sounds promising. They're also reinforced for the extra durability needed to handle regular sweaty indoor training sessions. 

You get two-bolt three-bolt cleats included, and the pedals are even labelled left and right to make installation foolproof. They weigh a fairly hefty 484g, but that's not going to matter indoors. 

John Stevenson's verdict on these pedals is due imminently.  

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Pedla RideFlash Gilet (170.00)

2023 Pedla Ride Flash Gilet - reflective front.jpg

Our pictures go some way to already showing you just how reflective Pedla's RideFlash gilet is, with the brand proudly boasting that it's "the ultimate piece of kit for safety-conscious riders."

It features "26% retroreflective glass microspheres", and Pedla claims its trademarked Vizlite material can be seen more than half a mile away when it's hit with light. 

> Best reflective cycling clothing and accessories

A standard fit to leave room for layering and a lightweight fabric should ensure comfort as well as visibility, and for £170 you'd expect so. Is it worth the outlay, and will the reflectivity impress like Pedla's Rideflash overshoes that we reviewed recently? The flashy Jo Burt is reflecting on his review and will be delivering a final verdict soon. 

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Ekoi Aerodinamica by Pininfarina helmet (£333.36) 

2024 Ekoi Aerodinamica by Pininfarina helmet - side 1.jpg

The supplier of clothing and equipment to the likes of Israel–Premier Tech, Cofidis, Lotto–Dstny and plenty of other pro teams,  Ekoi has focussed on performance gear in recent years, and the Aerodinamica is its latest top-of-the-range aero road helmet

Created with the help of Pininfarina, who primarily design cars, Ekoi claims this lid is "the fastest and most protective helmet in the peloton", and (of course) has had numerous stints in the wind tunnel to optimise it. Ekoi says it focussed on six areas - aerodynamics, protection, comfort, ventilation, design, lightness - to craft what it says is aero cycling helmet perfection. It also features Koroyd technology, that is said to have enhanced shock absorption properties in varying temperatures compared to standard EPS.

It weighed 336g on our scales, and is currently on the head of road.cc super reviewer Stu Kerton. 

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Kommit Bike Towing System (£61.00)

2023 Kommit Bike Towing System - 1.jpg

The Kommit system is a wholly different take on the bike trailer, and kind of falls somewhere between that and a tandem. It's essentially a nylon leash, clipping at one end and looping around the bike behind tool-free (just one example we're shown on the press material) and with a towing weight limit of 120kg, it's fine for towing adults or children. 

The Bavarian-based team behind the IPSO award-winning Kommit suggest numerous use cases, such as towing your ride buddy in the event of a mechanical, shuttling someone up a mountain or jogging while towing your child on their bikes. Weighing just 131g and very compact, it's good for stuffing in your jersey or saddlebag. 

An effective towing solution? Matt Page's review is due shortly. 

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Revoloop Race Ultra Tube (£27.99)

2023 Revoloop Race Ultra Tube - 1.jpg

There are plenty of lightweight inner tubes in the market now, but Revoloop's Race Ultra is one of the lightest of the lot at just 26g on the road.cc Scales of Truth. 

Made from lightweight thermoplastic polyurethane, the valves are also made from a special high strength TPU, and they're internally welded to the tube to protect them from damage caused by the rim valve hole. We're not given any specific info on puncture resistance, but Revoloop claims the tubes have "undergone rigorous testing and quality control processes to ensure they meet the highest standards of reliability and durability."

You get 40mm, 60mm and 80mm valve stem options, and the tubes are fully recyclable. Ed Morgan's is hoping for a puncture-free test period, and his review is coming very soon. 

 

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To see the entire road.cc reviews archive, head over to our reviews section. For more advice before spending your hard-earned cash, check out our buyer's guides

Arriving at road.cc in 2017 via 220 Triathlon Magazine, Jack dipped his toe in most jobs on the site and over at eBikeTips before being named the new editor of road.cc in 2020, much to his surprise. His cycling life began during his students days, when he cobbled together a few hundred quid off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story) and bought his first road bike - a Trek 1.1 that was quickly relegated to winter steed, before it was sadly pinched a few years later. Creatively replacing it with a Trek 1.2, Jack mostly rides this bike around local cycle paths nowadays, but when he wants to get the racer out and be competitive his preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking - the latter being another long story.  

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5 comments

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eburtthebike | 2 months ago
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"Ekoi says it focussed on six areas - aerodynamics, protection, comfort, ventilation, design, lightness......"

Is there anything else a helmet could possibly do?  I'd like to see a picture of their eyes focussing on six different things at once.

Speaking of helmets, has anyone got a copy of the new helmet standard, NTA-8776?  When I say new, I mean newish, as it dates from 2015.  It claims to provide protection at up to 45kph, 28mph, which seems unlikely as motorcycle helmets are only rated up to about 17/18mph.

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OnYerBike | 2 months ago
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Look Indoor Dual clipless pedals

Maybe [...] you swap bikes on your turbo trainer regularly

Not sure I follow this one. The only thing I can think of is if the person normally uses a mix of pedals but wants a dedicated indoor training pedal (to go with their dedicated indoor training shoe, and/or to reduce wear on more expensive pedals). But even in that case there is no benefit from the "dual" system.

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Jetmans Dad replied to OnYerBike | 2 months ago
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Surely the use case for this is where you don't swap bikes on your turbo trainer, and it is used by more than one person, where those people ride a mix of two and three bolted cleats?

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OnYerBike replied to Jetmans Dad | 2 months ago
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I agree. Possibly should have been clearer - the full quote from the article above is:

Maybe you and family members share a smart bike and each of you prefer different pedal systems, or you swap bikes on your turbo trainer regularly?

The first example use case - family members sharing a bike (whether its a "smart bike" or a normal bike on a turbo trainer) makes complete sense to me.

It's the second example use case that I can't understand. 

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Sredlums replied to OnYerBike | 2 months ago
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Same here. Makes no sense.

It's also weird that they write about that Kommit tow system like it is some new, novel idea. Surely they know there are several other tow systems available, with the same basic idea?

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