Bling wheels from Enve, Merida magic and a top quality kids bike: road.cc Recommends updated with ten top cycling products

With cooler climes coming soon, we're reviewing the very last of our summer kit before properly moving on to more autumnal wears, and switching out those race tyres for something chunkier. Here's the very best of what we've reviewed in August, with 10 products making the cut this time around. 

As always, the things we select for the Recommends badge will have scored at least an 8/10, ideally a 9 or 10, and are products we consider exceptional in their category. Below is a quick list of everything that made the cut with links to the full reviews, and we've also pulled out half a dozen to explain a little bit more about why they made it in. You can also head over to road.cc Recommends to see everything we've ever given the Recommends badge to in one place. 

> Vittoria Ridearmor TLR Tyre
> Ridley Grifn RS
> Enve SES 4.5 wheelset 
> Shimano RX6 Shoes
> Crane E-NE SBR Bell
> Rudy Project Tralyx + White Gloss - ImpactX Photochromic 2 Laser Purple
> 7mesh Men’s Atlas Jersey SS 
> 100% Slendale glasses 
> Merida Silex 700 gravel bike
> Prevelo Alpha Three 20-inch

Ridley Grifn RS (£7,292.00)

Stu Kerton risked upsetting a lot of traditionalists by boldly claiming that "N+1 is no longer required" in his summing up of the Ridley Grifn RS, but of course he has a point as this bike really is very capable on the road and off it. 

Just as good set up as a gravel bike as a road bike, the Grifn should excel at whatever you want to put it through, and it's impressively light for a more robust bike at just over 7.5kg in its road guise. It doesn't have standard mudguard mounting positions so is arguably more road-going, but there are plenty of mounting points for attaching gear. You can also fit some seriously wide rubber thanks to the big tyre clearance

Read our full review of the Ridley Grifn RS 

Enve SES 4.5 wheelset (£3,350.00)

Yep, £3.3k is a lorra money to spend on a pair of bike wheels, but you'll be rewarded with one of the best on the market if you do decide to invest according to reviewer Jamie. 

The 4.5 has pretty much everything you'd want from a modern mid-depth race wheelset, being stiff, responsive and stable without sacrificing any speed. The build quality is very high (this is Enve after all, who hand-build all their higher spec wheels in the US) and our reviewer goes as far as saying they are the best hookless road wheels on the market right now. Suppose if they're good enough for Tadej Pogacar, they're good enough for us... 

Read our full review of the Enve SES 4.5 wheelset

Shimano RX6 Shoes (£159.99)

Shimano's latest gravel kicks got a very high score from our reviewer, receiving praise for the good balance between comfort and stiffness, the highly adjustable BOA dials and lightness at 6221g for the pair. 

There are standard and wide fit options that should suit all feet, and they're also very easy to get on and off thanks to that BOA dial. The price isn't unreasonable either, and the durable construction should mean they last you multiple seasons of gravelly abuse. 

Read our full review of the Shimano RX6 Shoes

Crane E-NE SBR Bell (£35.00)

Made to fit on drop bars, Crane's E-NE SBR bell has a nice long, gentle ring and is very easy to access and use. It doesn't take up any space on the tops of your bars thanks to its drop bar location, it doesn't get in the way of braking and it looks great to boot. There's very little not to like if you want a bell that won't clutter your clean set-up. 

Read our full review of the Crane E-NE SBR Bell

7mesh Men’s Atlas Jersey SS (£130.00)

This month's only perfect 10 goes to 7mesh, with Mike praising the Atlas as a "supremely comfortable, stylish and capable stuff-hauling jersey". 

Aimed at big days in the saddle, this jersey has a whopping five rear pockets, all separated from the jersey hem so it doesn't ride up when your pockets are full. Our reviewer praised the great fit around the arms and shoulders, minimalist looks and the recycled materials for some eco brownie points. 

Yes it's not cheap, but the £130 price tag is less than pretty much all other super premium jerseys we could find with similar features, hence the perfect 10/10 score. 

Read our full review of the 7mesh Men’s Atlas Jersey SS

Prevelo Alpha Three 20-inch kids bike (£569.99)

Prevelo is a fairly new name in the kids bike market in the UK, but has already made a lasting impression on Matt Page and his little one. 

Featuring an "excellent specification with size-specific parts and geometry", the US company has delivered an excellent introduction to cycling with a proper geared bike for youngsters. While the wheel bearings are a bit stiff, there's no bottle cage mount and it is expensive, the pros far outweigh the cons. You get well-chosen components, including custom parts designed for its target riders, sensible geometry, a great design and generally a bike that will inspire confidence in your child and their riding.  

Read our review of the Prevelo Alpha Three 20-inch kids bike

Head over to the road.cc Recommends section to see all of our highest-rated products in one place