Cycle into work on a winter’s morning, unhook your Boomer in one easy flick of a rubber strap, plug it into the USB port on your computer to charge it, then ride home confident your light won’t die. With its simplicity of design and commuter-oriented functionality, the Boomer ticks plenty of boxes. For such a […]
Another front and rear package that includes a neat-looking single LED front light and a three LED rear. The rear runs off a single AA battery, delivers 80hrs of burn flashing and is extremely visible. The front isn’t much bigger than the AA battery that powers it but although giving 60hrs of burn flashing – […]
Small but perfectly formed, this neat light set from Blackburn would be ideal to stow in your bike jersey in case you get caught out at dusk or dull and foggy days. For such small units, both the front and rear chuck out a decent amount of light. On flashing mode you can see the […]
You’ll either love or hate the turquoise blue drums of the Tacx rollers but, in combination with the grey frame, they do have a certain minimalist futuristic cool look to them. With 370mm width they’re a good set of rollers to learn on; you’re gently encouraged to stay towards the middle but have some margin […]
As the lightest rollers on test, weighing in at a mere 5.3kg and folding down impressively small, the Minouras open their account well. At 415mm wide their alloy drums are also the widest. They don’t have a parabolic (curved) profile but the additional roller width and low frame design does make them novice friendly, and […]
These have plenty of features to justify their price tag. Most obvious is the variable resistance that offers three levels of load. Level two feels very similar to riding on a flat road with a light headwind and is suitable for most interval, tempo and steady pace sessions. You obviously can’t create enough resistance for […]
The second set of rollers offering variable resistance, these have a more traditional and austere appearance. At 390mm width, the aluminium rollers allow plenty of scope for wobbles when learning the ropes, but with a flat profile and no retaining lip, could cause more anxiety. The aluminium drums do deliver a silky smooth ride, though, […]
Kreitler rollers are known as the Rolls Royce of rollers and come with a lifetime guarantee. Go to any track cycling meet and you’ll see the riders warming up on Kreitlers and spinning silkily smooth to insane speeds on them. Despite the hefty price tag the orange square profile tubing does look a bit agricultural, […]
Torhans has spent extensive time and money in the wind tunnel, and features such as the 72° rear trailing edge of the 887ml bottle that sits in line with most head tubes bears testament to this. Details like aero fairing for the straw is either impressive or excessive, depending on your take, but with Chrissie […]
Not the lightest or cheapest wheels on the market, but neither the heaviest nor most expensive. This means these wheels also occupy a very competitive niche, but they come out fighting. Built with heavier riders in mind, and built to last, they are solid, dependable and very well made. Machined braking surfaces add predictable stopping […]
This is a lot of wonga for a wheel and to buy a matching front you’ll have to stump up another £900. Although clinchers have their advantages, the set-up will always be heavier and, although this disc only weighs 1,200g (joint lowest weight on test), the tub equivalent is 1,050g. DT hubs are used by […]
Based in North Harrow, Questbikes is an independent bike shop with its own range of branded cycles and parts. Conceived and developed by customers and staff, including members of their Team Quest club, the range includes this cracking value disc wheel. Coming with carbon-specific pads and a conversion kit so you can use it on […]
The Reynolds disc was consistently the quickest in our test. It’s amazingly stiff and, even when trying to get it to flex and rub on the brakes (with exaggerated rolling), it stays true. It always feels like it’s slicing the air effectively and there’s wind-tunnel data to back this up. There’s no doubt that its […]
The first clincher wheel on test, this one comes with an alloy braking surface. The upside of this is improved braking, especially in the wet; the downside is more weight – at 1,445g (1,195g for the tub equivalent) this is the heaviest on test. Whether braking performance is that much of an issue on a […]
With asymmetric decals, the Cole disc certainly looks the business, and you get a fair bit for your money, including a padded bag, QR skewer and carbon-specific pads. The combination of a silky-smooth hub, wind-tunnel-proven aerodynamics and low flex give a fast, stable and responsive ride. Weighing in at 1,380g, it’s the heaviest of the […]
Key to a bike rack’s success is flexibility, ease of set-up and stability. And the Halfords Advanced Rear High Mount 3 Cycle Carrier scores well in all three. Flexibility’s down to the number of cars it fits: hatchbacks, estates, saloons… Its chameleonic characteristics stem from a plethora of rack frame settings and four sizes of […]
The new Carnac Triathlon shoe is brimming with ideas. To start with it has a carbon sole with an integrated air intake system. But wait, the real innovation comes with a rubber heel that allows it to collapse as you put your foot in to speed entry, before pulling the shoe back into shape using […]
Polar has persisted with the armband-mounted sensor approach to GPS speed/distance monitoring. The advantage of this is a compact wrist unit that’s noticeably slimmer than the Gamin 610. The downside? It’s another piece of kit to misplace or remember to strap on when you’re heading out to train. The RCX5 has plenty of great features, […]
The Elite Aeton is one of only a few aero drinks bottles on the market with the downtube-mounted Speedfil and Profile Design Aerodrink its closest rivals. In terms of capacity, the Aeton holds 750ml (compared with 900ml in the Profile and 1,200ml in the Speedfil) so it comes up a little short there, but this […]
Let’s deal with the elephant in the room first – the £2,250 price tag. It’s £350 more than Zipp 404s, £405 more than Easton EC90s and a staggering £1,155 more than our ‘Best on Test’ Strada 88mm wheelset (issue 258, 220). However, once you see what’s gone into developing them, splashing this much cash seems […]
Opinions on the aesthetic values of the Blackburn’s head unit were divided but it’s certainly not the least attractive computer on test (the Union definitely takes that prize). The speed sensor is a beast, though, and although the fin styling is a nod to sleek lines, it could definitely do with losing some bulk. Mounting […]
There are plenty of people who’ll argue that you only need the seven simple functions on offer from the Pro SX4-W. And we know plenty of triathletes with high-end power meters and computers suffering from chronic paralysis by analysis who could do well to heed this advice. The neat head unit looks really classy and […]
On its own in the bargain basement, the Cateye Velo is a no-frills, old-skool wired bike computer. In these modern days of wireless and GPS fitting it evokes a touch of nostalgia, but apart from having to neatly route the wire it’s a simple zip-tie job. And we genuinely do think that there’s still a […]
Both the packaging and head unit of the Union look a bit dated. The head unit in particular has a distinctly 1980s vibe and, while that may have a certain retro appeal, you wouldn’t put it on your P4. Its nine functions tick all the important boxes but there’s nothing so special that you’d overlook […]
Receive a FREE copy of 'The Ultimate Triathlon Training Manual' when you subscribe and get everything you need to perform at your optimum.
