The Aspide Glamour Saddle is different from many other female-specific saddles on the market, in that it offers a very firm, flat surface (as lots of men’s saddles do) with a suitably wider profile. It seemed that this was a ‘love it or hate it’ factor with our testers – either they instantly got on […]
The Vision Aero Max is a TT saddle through and through: very well padded, particularly in the nose area, it’s been built with triathlon in mind. The simple, plain black design means it will win favour with anyone looking for a more understated seat (though by the same token, it won’t be the first choice […]
The Podium Ti from Intake is an attractive-looking racing saddle at a bargain price. With titanium rails it weighs in at 250g, which may not be the lightest on the racks, but at such a low price-point you can forgive it that extra little bit of mass. Padding is firm but not too hard, and […]
Prologo supplies saddles to AG2R and the Saxobank pro cycling teams. With only a small range of seats to choose from, the company’s proud boast is that it supplies the consumer with exactly the same products as it does for its professional riders. The Scratch TS is a lightweight (187g) road-oriented saddle with a stylish […]
Specialized’s BG (Body Geometry) system is aimed at optimising the fit and biomechanics of a rider by acknowledging that a ‘one size fits all’ approach doesn’t always work. As a result, the minimalist BG Toupe saddle is available in three widths: 130mm, 143mm and 155mm (the dealer will measure your hips to see which is […]
The Aspide TT is a superlight, tri-specific saddle from long-established Italian manufacturer Selle. Even though it has considerably more padding than a traditional road saddle, the use of carbon rails and base bring the weight down to just 162g – very impressive, especially as this also includes the addition of an alloy reinforcement sleeve in […]
The Fizik Arione design has won over a lot of fans in recent years as a road, time-trial and mountain bike saddle. The Tri 2 variant for 2009 has either carbon or Kium rails (the former pushing the price up to £219.99; the latter, tested here, a touch heavier at 209g) and a wider, more […]
Specialized has a gift when it comes to making things look good, and has now applied its magic to this new interpretation of the Roval wheel brand. Specialized has also added its frame-proven E5 Metal Matrix material to the aero-section rims to create a tough hoop that can tackle the worst roads. Hidden-in-the-rim nipples for […]
Designed to take on the cobbled races of northern Europe, these retro-styled rollers are equally ready for your local council’s worst repairs. We’ve heard good reports from big riders who’ve absolutely hammered these wheels and ours remained true even after venturing off-road. The slightly soft spoke tension takes plenty of sting out of rough sections, […]
Forget turning down the Christmas pud – these lightweight Reynolds rollers are a great way to lose weight after Santa’s scarpered. The good news is that there are no ‘special dietary requirements’ for these wheels – just conventional low-calorie menu options right through. The mid-depth aero rims help keep the wheels tight and responsive while […]
These 105 wheels are light and good value, which, coupled with Shimano’s legendary reliability, makes them an ideal winter wheel. The 24mm rims offer a smooth, pliable ride for coping with potholes, and also makes them less prone to gusting than deeper hoops. Placing the nipples of the straight-pull spokes (16 front/24 rear) at the […]
Undoubtedly these Gipimme wheels are very eye-catching, but sadly they wouldn’t be our first choice for winter work. The deep 40mm section, with its widely spaced, paired aero spokes and overall matt-black finish certainly stands out in the crowd, and they hold speed well. However, as the only wheelset here over 2kg, they take some […]
Halo has been making wheels for headcase MTB dirt jumpers and free-ride lunatics for years, so we expected their road wheels to be rugged. The relatively low 25mm rim and symmetrical crossover (therefore longer and springier) spoking all round means they’re also comfortable. The ‘Six Drive’ hubs are straight off their mtb wheels, with an […]
Easton’s second-tier aero set is impressively tough and versatile – if you like particularly stiff set-ups. With a mid-section 29.4mm aero rim, broad-body hubs and tight round spokes in a two-cross driveside/radial offside and front pattern, there’s no sign of deflection or drive loss however hard you kick. They’re impressively light for a low-cost aero […]
Using a mid-depth rim and tight double-butted spokes with Easton’s patented T3 Twin Thread technology makes the Circuit a phenomenally stiff and strong wheelset. They’re made for big riders and bad roads, and our experience doesn’t suggest any different. Despite the strength and stiffness they’re not harsh on rougher sections, and they feel impressively tight […]
The eye-catching orangey/red rims and hubs make these beauties look several times more expensive than they actually are, and may prompt you to check the price several times before believing it. The 24mm deep rims are strong enough to cope with winter roads without feeling as ‘clattery’ stiff as some deeper set-ups, and they still […]
It might look like Russian army surplus but this cheap and cheerful unit is actually bloody good to work with. There’s a bit of bolting it together to be done first, but the finished Y-frame design is rattle free and stable enough to be perfectly safe on flat floors. Mounting the bike is easy: just […]
Syntace kit is always among the lightest and these 318g shorty bars are no exception, making them an excellent minimalist competition set-up. The single-piece extension curving into armrest ‘Bio wing’ design is simplicity itself, but means no length or rotational adjustability. Pad adjustment is pretty limited, too, with only slotted slide outwards/inwards movement, but the […]
There’s certainly enough room to get really stretched on these shallow, S-bend Vision extensions. Unlike most bars it’s the back end that’s fixed, but they’re tide marked for symmetrical cutting if they’re too long, so that’s not a problem. Slots are provided for internal cable routing, though the blocked back end means they’re only undercover […]
Ritchey are never afraid to take an unconventional route, but it doesn’t always pay off weight wise, with the Prologue’s weighing a hefty 598g. But, in terms of adjustability, you’ll certainly be hard pressed to fault the them. The underslung extensions are adjustable for reach and rotation, and the long ski bend means plenty of […]
With its short, kinked horns and adjustable extension clamps, this 528g set-up is easy to keep inside of your brakes to please race officials. But the multi-angle shape still gives a range of useful hand positions. The tips are bar-end shifter compatible but there are no slots for feeding cable inside so you’ll need to […]
Like most Swiss stuff, Oval bars are premium priced but then it’s some of the most versatile, best performing kit around. These 328g A910 kinked extensions are slightly shorter than normal, which means you could run them as draft-legal or full aero. Alloy tips are ready for bar-end shifters, with a slot to tuck the […]
Planet X’s draft-legal ‘shorty’ Stealth set-up comes with stumpy, S-bend extensions that swell from skinny at the clamp to fat at the ends. As with most shorty bars they’re not slotted for internal cable routing, but the clamp sections will take the full range of plug-in extensions designed for the Stealth bar if you want. […]
Easton’s 568g, entry-level clip-on is well made and usefully adjustable but definitely on the heavy side. Their Attack bar gets a lightweight EA70 alloy construction but this cheaper model uses a 2014 aluminium in a tapered, S-bend shape. The long collared clamp for the extensions gives massive reach adjustability and they’re slotted for internal cable […]
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