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TECH NEWS
FiveCoolThings-2024-12-16Roglič's new shades and HED's "fastest wheels ever"! Five cool things coming soon from Madison, Muc-Off, HED, Velocio and Koo
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.
Emily is our track and road racing specialist, having represented Great Britain at the World and European Track Championships. With a National Title up her sleeve, Emily has just completed her Master’s in Sports Psychology at Loughborough University where she raced for Elite Development Team, Loughborough Lightning.
Emily is our go-to for all things training and when not riding or racing bikes, you can find her online shopping or booking flights…the rest of the office is now considering painting their nails to see if that’s the secret to going fast…
Latest Comments
- chrisonabike 5 sec ago
As HP says a LTN should not prevent vehicle access (otherwise it's not an LTN, it's a "pedestrianised street"....
- Sredlums 6 min 52 sec ago
You are way overthinking this. It's for people who want something else than the same old same old. That's all....
- Mr Blackbird 9 min 20 sec ago
Yes. But I would question whether these calthorps can be purchased legally and who is selling them. They can't have a commercial legitimate use.
- mdavidford 1 hour 5 min ago
Not quite sure what one of those is, and not sure I want to know. Fortunately, that particular Sky/Ineos scandal seems to have passed me by.
- mdavidford 1 hour 26 min ago
On the plus side, you wouldn't ever catch one of them riding through a red light...
- nick h. 1 hour 31 min ago
Will you be getting a Fizik? It sounds promising.
- Sriracha 1 hour 47 min ago
How is "USB Charging" a plus, when it's micro-USB?
- Jimmy Ray Will 1 hour 49 min ago
I am sure there will be people who cancelled their membership purely because of the Shell sponsorship. There will be many others that saw the Shell...
- gooseflight 2 hours 9 min ago
Roads are paid for from general taxation. If you pay income tax you are contributing to transport infrastructure. There is no 'road tax' only...
- Secret_squirrel 3 hours 37 min ago
Lovely special article here : https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/extra/pnw2xgs8t6/Wild-Ride-How-academy-misfi...
Add new comment
7 comments
Am I the only one that doesn't get the appeal of electric mini pumps?
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) 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-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.
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 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.
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.