Park Tool's new wind-up stand could make working on heavy bikes a breeze for less — plus more cool stuff from Madison, Shimano + Pro

We've been out in search of cool new cycling tech in Manchester today, more specifically the velodrome at the National Cycling Centre for iceBike, a trade show organised by UK cycling distributor Madison. Of the stuff we're allowed to tell you about, here are five upcoming releases that piqued our interest while a smattering of Team GB track riders went zooming past... 

Park Tool unveils new, more affordable alternative to the electric workstand

Anyone serious about home spannering will be aware just how much you can pay for a quality height-adjustable electric workstand, and for those regularly working on heavy e-bikes, they're a must. Park Tool, with its new PRS-30 stand, might have just nailed it with a more affordable solution that is no less heavy duty than professional-grade stands, but cuts out some of the expensive tech. 

The stand can simply be wound up or down to adjust the height, or you can remove the handle and use a drill to move it a bit quicker. It can handle loads in excess of 50kg, and the clamp is the same as you'd see on Park Tool's electric workstands costing over £3,000. 

The price? Park Tool wasn't too keen on telling us, but it certainly won't be in the thousands, and is likely to come in around the £850-£900 mark. It's aimed at the serious home mechanic, but Park Tool think it could be a hit with bike shops looking to save space and/or some money too. It should be available to buy in late spring. 

Madison launches a clothing line just for mechanics (including this cosy yet unconventional-looking number)

Sticking with our mechanics' theme (it is Home Mechanics' Week on road.cc next week after all) Madison has launched a clothing line made specifically for mechanics called the Store Staff Range. 

The gear is only available in black, it's made with rugged materials and there are plenty of practical features like huge pockets on the Roam DWR Cargo Trousers. The most intriguing item in the range has to be the Isoler Softshell 3-Layer jacket (above), essentially a warm tunic with a jacket and a base layer stitched on top.  

The kit is mostly aimed at the trade as the name suggests, but all products will be available to buy with prices ranging from £29.99 for the polo shirt, up to £79.99 for the 3-piece Dryrobe tribute. There are very significant discounts on those prices for shops buying the kit for their staff. 

Pro unveils new handlebars, with widths starting at just 33cm 

Components specialist Profile Design has launched a new aero road bar called the Canta, every bit embracing the trend for going narrower with widths starting from a tiny 33cm from hood to hood. The carbon bars support full internal cable routing as is standard nowadays, and there are also wider versions if you're not ready to tuck in quite that much (the sample shown is 36cm). Prices are TBC, but they will be shipping later this year. 

Shimano CUES for drop bars breaks cover

We're told that the briefcase above contains one of the only Shimano CUES hydraulic drop bar groupsets in the country, and that bikes with the components on will finally start trickling through in greater quantities throughout 2025.

> Shimano officially launches entry-level CUES groupsets for drop bar road and gravel bikes

For those who missed it, the drop bar version of CUES officially launched in late January, and CUES-branded kit will eventually replace all Shimano road bike groupsets under the 105 level: that means RIP Tiagra, Sora and Claris (eventually, but there were still a few discounted Genesis bikes equipped with the old stuff at the show). 

Madison launches lightweight version of award-winning Crypto shades 

The regular Madison Crypto sunglasses scooped the road.cc Recommends Bargain Buy of the Year award for 2024/25, and now they've been joined by a lightweight model that is also priced at a fair and square 40 quid. The Crypto Air does away with the full frame on the regular Madison Crypto, offering a racier look that is sure to be a hit with budget-conscious roadies. 

We'll do our best to get some of these products in for review soon, but as some of them are not shipping yet, it might be a few weeks or months before we get our hands on them