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This week’s Five Cool Things features a 100g saddle from Berk, Panda Optics sunnies, an all-in-one toolkit from Topeak, plus carbon wheels from Roval and Fulcrum. Here are the key details before the full reviews land on road.cc in the coming weeks…
Roval Rapide CL III (£1,548)

The Specialized-owned wheel brand Roval released three new wheelsets this summer, all with a deeper front rim than rear, the idea being to balance aero performance with weight savings.
The Rapide CL III wheelset is the least expensive option in the range, although still priced north of £1,500. They feature a 51mm front rim and 48mm rear, with a weight of 1,534g on our scales – around 200g heavier than the higher-end Rapide CLX III, which shares the same rim depths.
Liam Cahill is currently testing them, so check back soon for his verdict.
Buy the wheelset for £1,548 from Specialized
Berk Lupina Short 144 Saddle (£299.99)

Founded in 2014, Berk is a small Slovenian brand known for its lightweight componentry, with its products tested for many years by the likes of Tadej Pogačar and Matej Mohorič.
The Lupina Short 144 saddle is one for the weight weenies, and is the short nose version of Berk’s Lupina saddle built entirely from carbon fibre and featuring a central cut-out designed to relieve perineal pressure.
It’s 247mm long and 144mm wide, and because of its super light weight of 100g, Berk sets a maximum rider weight of 100kg.
Buy from Kuga Sports for £299.99
Panda Optics S25-1 (£78)

Coming from a snowsports background, Panda Optics brings plenty of experience in making protective eyewear that looks good too.
The S25-1 glasses are designed for multisport use, with a polycarbonate lens that’s said to be up to 10 times more impact resistant than traditional resins, making it ideal for high-speed sports like cycling.
They feature a fully adjustable nose grip and titanium-adjustable temple arms, designed to provide a secure fit across a wide range of face shapes.
Currently discounted to £62.40 at Panda Optics
Topeak Essential Toolshop (£89.99)

The Topeak Essential Toolshop is an all-in-one kit with 24 tools packed into a compact 25 x 9.6 x 6 cm case, covering everything you need for everyday bike maintenance.
It features a heavy-duty ratchet tool rated up to 60 Nm, a full set of hex, Torx, Phillips, and flat head bits, plus a 12-speed chain tool and a Nano TorqBar. You’ll also find Power Lever II master link pliers and a disc brake spacer.
Fulcrum Wind 42 Carbon SRAM XDR T/L Disc Brake Road Wheelset (£1,449.99)

Finishing with another set of wheels, the Fulcrum Wind 42 Carbon wheels are designed to balance performance and comfort for both road and light off-road use and they benefit from trickle-down technology from Fulcrum’s range-topping Speed family.
Handling is said to have been enhanced by 22% with a 42 mm rim depth and a 23 mm internal width, allowing compatibility with tyres from 23 mm up to 65 mm, according to Fulcrum.
Priced at £1,449.99, these “mid-range” carbon wheels weighed in at 1,534 g on the road.cc Scales of Truth, and George Hill is putting them to the test over the coming weeks.
Buy from Bob Elliot for £1,449.99
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.






















3 thoughts on “The lightest bike seat we’ve ever had in for review: Slovenian brand Berk’s feathery 100g saddle, plus more from Roval, Topeak, Fulcrum and Panda Optics”
This saddle you reviewed was
This saddle you reviewed was lighter
https://road.cc/content/review/148320-selle-italia-slr-tekno-saddle
Wrongly described by the
Wrongly described by the writer I think, on the Berk website the Lupina Short 144 3K carbon version is a claimed 78g.
They have the padded one
They have the padded one pictured