In this week’s Five Cool Things, we’re going to take a look at some Scottish-made, CNC-machined cranks, Santa Cruz’s aggressive trail bike, and something that might upset many, a handlebar and stem built to bring internal cable routing to a new level. On top of that, we’ve got a super breathable jacket from Leatt and waterproof kicks from Shimano.
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But before we dive into the cool stuff, let’s take a glance at off.road.cc’s goings on throughout the past couple of weeks. It’s been a big one for features as we caught up with Matt Jones to learn all about his super gnarly jump through two moving trucks, and we sat down with Jenny Rissveds to find out how winning the Olympics at such a young age affects her as a rider, and how she’s adapting to a new team.
A lot has gone on in the news too, as Production Privée has launched back onto the UK market, Vittoria has launched four new mountain bike tyres, Starling Cycles announced that it’s moving away from UK manufacturing, and YT Industries has made a comeback, after being bought by founder, Markus Flossmann.
As for reviews, we checked out one of the most hyped bikes of 2025, the Orbea Rallon. We’ve found that it’s an incredible descender, as you would expect of a big ol’ 170mm enduro bike, but it’s not without a few compromises. Matt delivered his verdict on Maxxis’ wet weather cross-country tyre, the Severe, and we reviewed Giro’s third crack at its Montaro Mips helmet.
Pinnd Analog Cranks
£245
We first caught wind of the Scottish brand, Pinnd, for its CS2 pedals, and since then, it’s expanded as it now offers cranksets for regular and e-mountain bikes. Here, we’ve got the Analog Cranks, and they fit right in line with the current trends of choosing shorter cranks as they’re available in 155mm up to 170mm length. We’ve gone for the 160mm option.
These cranks are CNC-machined from 7075 T651 anodised aluminium and are certified for enduro use. Pinnd has then chosen to build the cranks to be compatible with DUB bottom brackets with Standard and Wide options available right now, and SB+, DH and Fat axle options on the way.
Pinnd is keeping things simple with the Analog Cranks, offering them in black or silver colours, and they fit SRAM-style three-bolt chainrings. We’re told that they can weigh as little as 604g, depending on the length you choose.
Santa Cruz Bronson 90
£5,700
Much like the Vala AL we checked out in the last Five Cool Things, the Bronson 90 gets one of those everything you need, nothing you don’t builds that aims to hit a decent price point, without skimping on performance. The Bronson is Santa Cruz’s all-rounder machines that’s built to do it all as it utilises 160mm of suspension up front, with 150mm at the rear. Oh, and it’s a mixed wheel bike only.
This bike dons what Santa Cruz is its best VPP suspension yet. Compared to the previous Bronson, it might not look all that different but we’re told that the link has been shifted slightly to optimise anti-squat. With that, it should pedal well, but also handle all manners of bumps well within its stride.
As for the build kit, it uses SRAM’s Eagle 90 Transmission drivetrain, a Fox 36 Performance fork and a Fox Float X shock. It rolls on a pair of Reserve 30 TR AL hoops with a Maxxis Assegai up front and a DHR II at the rear. There are then a pair of SRAM Maven Bronze brakes. While this bike might be a little spendier, the brand attempts to justify that with a OneUp Components Aluminium handlebar, a Cane Creek 50 headset and a OneUp Dropper post with 210mm of travel on this large frame.
Leatt HydraDri 6.0 jacket
£300
Leatt’s new HydraDri 6.0 jacket introduces a new fabric from the brand that promises a very impressive 70k breathability rating, combined with a 15k waterproofing rating, so it’s built to keep you dry, no matter how heavily it rains, or how much you sweat. Although it’s constructed with durable Deflextion reinforced elbows, there’s a pocket at the rear which the whole jacket can pack into, making for an easily carryable waterproof jacket.
Elsewhere, the HydraDri 6.0 gets all of the features we expect from Leatt. There’s the magnetic Ride Adaptive Hood and a PFAS-free DWR coating. That hood then posted a stiffened peak and full chin coverage. The fabric is bluesign approved for environmental friendliness, and the sleeves are preshaped for ergonomics.
Shimano GE900 GTX shoes
£240
Although it’s equipped with Gore-Tex sock liner and a stretchy ankle collar to keep the wet stuff out, Shimano says that its GE9 GTX shoes are built for all-season enduro riding. On top of its waterproof tech, these clipless kicks boast Boa’s Li2 dial that’s shielded to keep it safe from the rough and tumble of enduro riding and accidental releases.
There’s then the brand’s Ultread GE rubber compound for grip on and off the bike, while the Torbal 2.0 torsional midsole flexes laterally, and the carbon-reinforced midsole promotes pedalling stiffness. It’s great to see that Shimano has included a longer cleat channel and a softer EVA foam to absorb impacts.
PRO Tharsis Evo handlebar and stem
£200 and £140
Like it or not, internal cable routing is here to stay, and the Pro Tharsis handlebar and stem combo aims to provide a seamless look through more cable routing. Although they can be run with regular old routing and hoses, thanks to a pair of ports on the bar, hoses and cables can be routed through the bar and stem, and directly into a headset.
The Tharsis Evo handlebar is built from T800 carbon fibre and is tuned to combine the right levels of compliance and stiffness for trail riding. It’s 780mm wide, and there are rise options from 20 to 30mm. Like the bar, the stem is only available to fit 35mm clamp diameters, but it can be picked up in 35, 40 and 50mm lengths. The Pro Tharsis stem is built from AL7000 aluminium, and we’re told it weighs 150g.
Of course, with general thoughts of headset routed cables, this may not be terribly well received, but this combo does raise the question – are mountain bikes taking more inspiration from their road-going counterparts when it comes to aesthetics and tidiness?
