In this week’s edition of Five Cool Things, we have HED’s ‘”fastest wheels ever”, the latest electric mini pump from Muc-Off, sunglasses from Koo Eyewear worn by Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe riders, Velocio’s do-it-all jacket and some affordable thermal bib tights from Madison. Here are the previews before our full reviews go live…
Muc-Off AirMach Electric Mini Inflator (£90)
Electric mini pumps have grown in popularity in recent years, and the latest brand to push one across our desk is Muc-Off.
Not only does it have “aircraft grade aluminium construction”, but Muc-Off also claims that this 114g pump can inflate two tyres (700x25mm) from 0-80psi on a single charge.
Mike Stead has been trying it out, and will be letting us know if this USB-C equipped electric pump can take it to the best in the business.
HED Wheels Vanquish Pro V45 wheelset (£2,090)
HED has an enviable reputation when it comes to aerodynamics, and this 45mm wheelset is the latest in a long line of carbon upgrade options from the brand. In fact, HED says the Vanquish Pro wheelsets are its fastest wheels ever.
This hooked wheelset is handmade in the USA, and features external rims just under 31mm wide, aligning with recent trends.
Weighing in at 1,599g on our scales, it’s safe to say that there’s lighter out there at this price point, but Sam Smith will be letting us know if they can make up for it in other areas.
Velocio Mens One Jacket (£267)
Velocio claims to have the winter cycling jacket for everything with its Mens One Jacket, said to be “waterproof, windproof, and exceptionally breathable” and designed to perform in temperatures between 0 and 10°C.
The One Jacket is made from fabrics that Velocio claims are environmentally-friendly, free of PFAS and incorporating Biolon nylon – a plant-based alternative that reportedly reduces the carbon footprint by 50% compared to traditional virgin nylon.
Koo Eyewear Hype sunglasses (£180)
Italian eyewear brand Koo, the official eyewear sponsor of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, has released its latest model, the Hype.
Available in nine colourways, Koo highlights key features of the Hype, including a maximum ventilation system, enhanced temple retention, and a dual-curve lens designed to deliver “exceptional field of vision and optical clarity.”
So, should we believe the Hype? We’re reviewing the Violet model with Pink mirror lenses, with Ollie Smith currently putting them through their paces.
Madison DTE Men’s Thermal Bib Tights With EIT Pad (£99.99)
Madison is known for offering good quality kit at a more affordable price point, and their most recent addition we have for testing is the DTE Men’s Thermal Bib Tights With EIT Pad.
These bibs feature a DWR coating to repel spray and showers, along with Madison’s EIT dual-density pad, engineered with chamois supplier ‘EIT’ Elastic Interface from Italy.
Check back in a couple of weeks to see how Josh got on with them.
For all the latest road.cc reviews, head over to our reviews section. If you want some more advice before spending your hard-earned cash, check out our buyer’s guides.
13 thoughts on “Roglič’s new shades and HED’s “fastest wheels ever”! Five cool things coming soon from Madison, Muc-Off, HED, Velocio and Koo”
Am I the only one that doesn
Am I the only one that doesn’t get the appeal of electric mini pumps?
Dicklexic wrote:
I’ve got a NiteCore one (https://www.nitecore.co.uk/products/nitecore-ebp10-mini-electric-bike-pump.html) and it’s small and is quicker to inflate a tyre than using a standard hand pump. They’re very good for people with upper body mobility issues such as a frozen shoulder etc.
Right? Punctures (touch wood)
Right? Punctures (touch wood) are rare enough I can imagine it wouldn’t be charged by the time I dug it out of my saddle bag to use it
Depends on how good your mini
Depends on how good your mini-pump is, how much riding you do in areas you don’t want to hang around in, how much group riding you do … and how much crap weather you ride in.
Dicklexic wrote:
Most assuredly not. I am generally a sucker for a gadget when it comes to cycling but replacing my mini pump with something that doesn’t weigh any less or take up much less volume, that can’t provide any more psi (and often less) than elbow grease, that I’m going to have to remember to keep charged and that can’t even replace the pump on a long ride in case I get more than two punctures – no thanks.
On the basis that it can
On the basis that it can inflate 2 tyres on a charge, I would see it as an alternative to carrying a couple of CO2 cartridges, which I tend to in addition to a mini pump. I guess if you have lots of punctures the environmental cost of a little electronic device would be less than the CO2 cartridges, but I already have a computer, lights, cameras and phone to charge before a ride, I don’t want something else.
Was in the LBS over the
Was in the LBS over the weekend and had a good look around, they stocked a Bosch tyre inflator, hand held one, but more for at home.
Am I that lazy, most of the time not, maintaining pressure is easy, of course, but changing tyres, the 2 inchers on my 26inch bikes, or the 27.5+, especially as theyare set up tubeless, and pumping up the pressure on the turbibooster cannister is a proper effort.
That and being able to set pressure to pump to and it’s all rather tempting.
Any users out there?
ktache wrote:
Well… as it happens, I have the Bosch EasyPump. I bought it a year ago with some Christmas gift money. Its main use is on my van which doesn’t get used that much now, and it’s a quick way of making sure all the tyres are up to pressure without leaving the driveway after standing for a week or so. I don’t use it so much on the road & gravel bikes (range between 25-38mm), although I use it on the MTBs and the commute e-bike (they’re 29er 2.6″ and 650b 50mm). It’s much better than the track pump on the bigger tyres.
Very nicely made, charges with USB-C (important to some people) and the adapters fit in the handle. Obviously doesn’t come out on the bike due to size but lives in the garage or van when on trips.
For approx £60 I’d recommend for a workshop fixture if you have big tyres.
https://amzn.eu/d/eyJuyHa
The times I’ve got frustrated
The times I’ve got frustrated with a mini pump are the times I’ve had multiple punctures on one ride, or a slow leak that required multiple top-ups. All those times, I’d have drained the battery on one of these things.
I’ll consider one when it doesn’t weigh much more than a mini pump, and will fill up a tyre at least ten times.
Same here.
Same here.
Instead, I replaced my generic mini pump with a bigger (‘midi’?) pump.
I don’t get punctures often, but when I do, it’s often at inconvinient moments, or in lousy conditions. The last thing I want at such moments, is a crappy, tiny pump that takes forever to pump up my tires, hardly gets to a decent air pressure, and are a complete workout.
This pump sits next to my bottle cage (plenty of space there) or in my frame bag, and it’s a delight to use. Good capacity, great handle, decent stroke length, flixible hose… it gets the job done quick and easy.
As often es needed, no charging, no fuss.
My first thought was ‘does
My first thought was ‘does the world really need more gadgets with lithium batteries and copper coils and motors’?
Both are finite elements and surely we have more important uses for them than slightly quicker puncture repairs?
They ain’t functionally
They ain’t functionally finite elements being the 25th and 26th most abundant elements on Earth.
But your point is taken – we’ve seen the perils of unconstrained extraction with fossil fuels.
8 pictures of those bib
8 pictures of those bib tights on their website but not one of the pad or explicit specification of which of the many Elastic IF pads it is…..