We’re back with another Five Cool Things, and the kit has been rolling into the office thick and fast. This week, we’ll take a look at Megamo’s Avinox e-MTB, Peaty’s all-new tubeless valves, Hope’s burly gravity brakes, as well as new cross-country pedals from OneUp Components. To top it all off, we’ve also got DMR’s high-rise handlebar. But first, let’s take a look at this week’s goings on.
- Schrader vs Presta – which valve standard is best for you?
- off.road.cc adventures: Elan Valley bikepacking bothy trip
- Gravel bike racing – everything you need to know
Last weekend, trials supremo and all-round mountain bike legend, Hans Rey, published an open letter, stating his thoughts and ideas on current e-mountain bike regulation, calling for clearer categorisation of e-MTBs. We caught up with the man himself to find out how he thinks we can keep future rulings on trail access in favour of the mountain biker. Race season has also kicked off for 2026, so we brought you our top tips on how to prepare for a successful day between the tapes.
It’s been a little light on the news front this week, apart from Peaty’s announcement of its new tubeless valves (which we’ll talk about in a little bit). But Salsa has made headlines this week with its new Flyway, a gravel bike that aims to blend racy intentions with adventure and bikepacking.
There have been plenty of reviews, however. This week, we brought our verdict on SRAM’s new Maven Silver B1 brakes, Brooks’ Cambium C17 Carved saddle, Troy Lee Designs’ Speed Pro Elbow Guards and Madison’s Freewheel Trail Gloves.
Megamo Reason CRB01
£11,499
It goes without saying, but the Avinox M1 is probably the most desirable motor currently on the market. That’s merely because of its torque and power figures, and while Amflow has led the Avinox-fuelled charge, a few other brands have jumped onto the bandwagon, with Spanish outfit Megamo being one of them. According to the brand, the Reason is poised to redefine the e-bike category thanks to a “high-performance frame that’s both lightweight and engineered with unbeatable kinematics”. We’ll put that to the test.
At its rather lofty price tag, the Reason CRB01 leaves all but one stone unturned. It’s equipped with Fox’s very latest, and very posh Factory suspension bits with a 36 fork and X2 shock. There’s a pair of DT Swiss carbon hoops and SRAM’s X0 T-Type drivetrain. Shimano then stops the bike with its Deore XT four-piston brakes. While a carbon Race Face Era handlebar definitely sweetens the deal, the bike comes with Maxxis rubber with EXO casings as standard.
The Reason is positioned more as a long-legged trail bike with 160mm of suspension at both ends, as well as a pair of 29-inch wheels. That said, it’s geometry is somewhat progressive with this large frame rocking a 502mm reach, a 63.7-degree head tube angle and a 77.2-degree seat tube angle. There’s then a 453mm chainstay.
Peaty’s Holeshot Fast Flow Tubeless Valves
£34.99
The fast flow tubeless valve space in one that’s moving at a surprisingly fast rate, with many brands jumping on the trend to bring far greater ease of use to the regular ol’ Presta valve. Peaty’s is the latest brand to throw an entry into the ring with the Holeshot Fast Flow valves, and they look remarkably like Reserve’s Fillmore. That said, these valves may be the most functional we’ve seen to date.
I say they look similar to the Fillmore because it uses a near identical design, with a one-piece inner core that stays closed with a tyre’s air pressure, which then opens up more space within the valve for the greater flow of sealant and air – so much so that Peaty’s claims that these valves help deliver twice the airflow of its MK2 Presta valve. But where these get a little ‘more’ than existing high flow valves is in their caps. One is fitted with a spoke key; the other is a Torx key that can be inserted into an e-bike’s chainring bolt to allow easy chain cleaning and lubrication by butting against the crank when it’s backpedalled.
These are built using 7075 aluminium with stainless steel cores and are available in 12 Chris King colourways. There are then 42 and 60mm lengths, as well as a mixed set for Bosch e-MTBs.
Hope EVO GR4 brakes
£240
Last year, I checked out Hope’s EVO TR4 brakes and was suitably impressed, but with a more powerful, enduro-focused brake in the lineup, I had to give it a go. This is the EVO GR4 from Hope, which uses the same EVO lever, but it’s hooked up to a burlier four-piston caliper. Against the outgoing Tech 4 brakes, the EVO lever benefits from a more hooked lever blade to boost control, and a dimple design to add traction. There’s also a new cam design which has been added to reduce free stroke in the lever, but without affecting modulation.
The GR4 caliper uses a one-piece design for increased stiffness, but there is a set of larger pistons to increase the ratio in a bid to up the brake’s overall power. There’s also a larger adjustment range in the caliper’s bolt interfaces to help it fit with more hub designs. Last up, it’s sorted with a new bore cap design that makes for a narrower caliper altogether.
As always, the Hope EVO GR4 is available in a bunch of colours, with black or silver main bits, and then with black, silver, smoke, blue, red, purple or orange accents.
OneUp Components XC Clip pedals
£142.99
Last year, OneUp Components jumped into the clipless pedals market, and now, it’s expanded on its trail offering with a fresh set of cross-country pedals. Like the original clipless pedals, the XC clip is shaped to be super thin, at 26.8mm in thickness and very lightweight, complete with a claimed weight of 303g per pair. These utilise an SPD mechanism, but it’s one that’s had the OneUp magic thrown into it. As a result, this binding has a tighter cleat fit, which should mean better security on the pedals.
Inside, there is an Igus bushing and two cartridge bearings that sit on a chromoly axle. They’re closed thanks to a double-axle seal, and OneUp offers a rebuild kit, which matches the one used for the brand’s Wave and Clip pedals.
DMR ODUB handlebar, 65mm
£75
You’ve got me, we have already reviewed the DMR ODUB handlebar, but fresh for this year is a new, super-tall 65mm rise option, as DMR rides the high-rise trend train. Designed with help from team rider Olly Wilkins, it has over 20 years of development under its belt, and it’s designed to work well across a range of disciplines. As for its shape, it features a five-degree upsweep and an eight-degree backsweep.
The ODUB bar benefits from a spiral butted 7050 aluminium construction to boost strength without adding weight. While we’ve got the 65mm rise here, it’s available in 20, 35 and 50mm rises as well as 31.9 and 35mm clamp diameters.
