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As we leave the Giro behind with another Brit in the Maglia Rosa and continue to roll into race season, the road.cc reviews team have been taking full advantage of the decent weather so far this year. Here are 11 standout products we reviewed in May, with one of them receiving a hallowed 10/10 score as well as the road.cc Recommends badge of honour… 

Here’s a list of all 11 things that made the Recommends cut in May, and we’ve highlighted half a dozen of them further down the page: 

Fairlight Strael 4.0 105 Di2

Buy from Fairlight for £3,369.00

2025 Fairlight Strael 4.0 - riding 5.jpg
2025 Fairlight Strael 4.0 - riding 5 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

As the Strael has received perfect scores in its previous two iterations, it’s unlikely the fourth version was going to be worse… in fact it’s better (if that were possible), according to our reviewer Stu Kerton! 

Pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with steel and “the closest bike to perfection I’ve ever ridden”, says Stu, the Strael 4.0 is lighter than the previous version, yet delivers a sublime ride quality unmatched by any other bike made from any other material. The bike feels planted and inspires confidence on descents, yet is zippy enough to compete with race bikes on the flats, being both highly agile and responsive. 

The attention to detail is second to none, and as what you’re getting is top tier, the price is pretty fair(light) too. 

Read our review of the Fairlight Strael 4.0

Halfords Advanced 23cm D Lock

Buy from Halfords for £50.00

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2025 Halfords Advanced 23cm D lock mounted (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Showing that you don’t have to spend an absolute fortune to obtain bike security that will put off all but the most committed thieves, the Halfords Advanced 23cm D Lock survived an angle grinder attack in our big locks test for 94 seconds, up there with locks four times as expensive. It’s not light at almost 1.5kg, but it’s compact and will fit in most bags providing that bag is somewhat reinforced. You get a very generous five keys. plus an LED one to help you unlock it at night. 

Our reviewer wasn’t a huge fan of the bracket, but if you’re after a lot of security for your buck, you can do much worse than the Halfords Advanced. 

Read our review of the Halfords Advanced 23cm D Lock

Prestacycle Prestaflator Go

Buy from Prestacycle for £99.00

Prestacycle Prestaflator Go
Prestacycle Prestaflator Go (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

One of the most impressive of a new breed of electric pumps that we’ve reviewed so far, Prestacycle’s take might be the one to make anyone ditch the mini pump or CO2 canisters; if you’re willing to pay a bit of a premium for the high quality.

Easy to use and able to inflate tyres up to 100 psi, Prestacycle claims the gauge is accurate to within 1%, and you might be surprised at how many inflations you’ll get out of it. Our reviewer got nine rounds pumping a 40mm gravel tyre to 35psi. It’s not much heavier than a pump or CO2, yet is much quicker and convenient according to our reviewer. 

Read our review of the Prestacycle Prestaflator Go

Topeak Ratchet Rocket Essential HD

Buy from Tweeks Cycles for £44.99

2025 Topeak Ratchet Rocket Essential HD.jpg
2025 Topeak Ratchet Rocket Essential HD (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

You get what you pay for with Topeak’s Ratchet Rocket Essential HD, and that means a high quality, reliable ratchet tool with a generous number of bits to perform almost all jobs you will need a ratchet tool for on your bike. 

The ratchet handle’s 60Nm maximum torque should be able to tighten or undo any standard components, and overall it’s a great little kit for the home mechanic or by the roadside.

Read our review of the Topeak Ratchet Rocket Essential HD

Hutchinson Blackbird Race Tyre

Buy from Merlin Cycles for £64.99

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2025 Hutchinson Blackbird Race tyre name (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

The Hutchinson Blackbird has been reengineered for 2025, and provides an excellent balance of speed, grip and durability while being lightweight and easy to set up tubeless, according to our reviewer Emily. 

Compatible with hooked or hookless rims, these tyres are easy to fit and you’ll seldom need a tyre lever when sticking them on your wheels. They’re exceptionally light and have plenty of grip in all weather conditions, able to compete with British roads through all but the harshest winter conditions. You can only get them in 28mm or 30mm, but that covers most road riders these days. 

Read our review of the Hutchinson Blackbird Race Tyre

Farsports 2025 Evo5 S Series wheelset

Buy from Farsports for £1,271.29

2025 Farsports 2025 New EVO S Series wheelset.jpg
2025 Farsports 2025 New EVO S Series wheelset (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Chinese cycling brands are on the rise, and this premium wheelset shows just how far direct-to-consumer manufacturers from the East have come according to our reviewer. 

At just 1,205g for the pair with a rim depth of 50mm, the Evo5s are some of the lightest wheels you can get at this depth, while being robust enough to ride year-round and wide enough to take all popular modern tyre sizes. Carbon spokes are a bonus at this price point, although our reviewer did say these provided a slightly harsher ride feel than their steel equivalents. The hubs, on the other hand, have top quality bearings and look pretty to boot. 

Direct-to-consumer wheels can now compete with the big boys, as long as you’re prepared to wait a few weeks for delivery. 

Read our review of the Farsports 2025 Evo5 S Series wheelset

To see the full archive of products that have been awarded road.cc Recommends badges over the years, head over to the road.cc Recommends section