I know, I know, we’re a little bit late with this edition of 5 cool things but when the things are this cool, it’s always better late than never. This week we’ve gear straps, neat hidden tools, flat pedal shoes, and a fancy digital shock pump. Sit down, relax and dive into what we’ve got.

Topeak Pocketshock Digital

£70

2021 topeak pocketshock digital 5ct.jpg
2021 topeak pocketshock digital 5ct (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Keeping our testers suspension up to pressure is the new Topeak Pocketshock Digital. It’s promised to deliver accurate readings up to 300psi and gets the brand’s Pressure-Rite connector to keep air from escaping when disconnecting the pump. Then, the rotating hose takes pressure off of the valve.

Giro Latch flat pedal shoes

£130

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2021 giro latch mens + womens 5ct (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

We’re excited to be putting Giro’s new Latch shoe to the test. It comes sorted with the brand’s new Tack rubber that’s been specially designed to provide tonnes of grip while offering great durability. The Gamma tread design is then shaped to provide the best interface for your pedal’s pins to mesh with.

We’ve got both women’s and men’s models to test so be sure to keep an eye out for a joint review coming soon.

Backcountry Research straps

£17 – £22

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2021 backcountry research straps (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Everyone loves a gear strap and we’ve got a couple from the Backcountry Research. We’ve got the Mutherload strap and the Super 8 Top Tube Mount strap. The former is designed to fit an inner tube with 1-2 Co2 canisters or almost anything you want.

The latter comes with four whole self-adjusting shock chords for on-the-fly storage and access to all manners of gear. It can even become home to a packable jacket.

Granite Designs Stash Chain Tool

£20

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2021 granite designs chain stash chain tool 5ct (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

As much as everyone loves a gear strap, we love on-bike stored tools and hopefully, the Granite Designs Stash Chain Tool lives up to expectations. Essentially, it’s a chain tool that lives inside of your handlebar end and integrates with the rest of the Stash range.

It’s compatible with bars with an inner diameter larger than 18mm with open-ended grips and claimed to weigh in at 50g. As expected from Granite Designs, it’s very nicely CNC machined.

Knog Blinder rear light

£40

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2021 knog blinder 5ct (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Looking to make an ideal companion for everyone’s night ride is the Knog Blinder. It’s fully waterproof and uses just one button to turn off and on and to scroll through its many settings. It blasts out a respectable 200 lumens and offers up to 60 hours in the eco flash mode, ideal for any road sections during your night rides. The best bit, it shows a skull when it’s on, very deserving of its spot in 5 cool things.

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