More triathlon gear tests than any other website. EXPERT REVIEWS of the latest and best tri kit, including bikes, running shoes, wetsuits and clothing.
Cannondale, founded in the early 70s, is a well-established brand who pioneered aluminium bicycle frame technology in the mid ‘80s. The CAAD9 frameset is the next iteration of Cannondale’s award-winning welded aluminium frame design, which has built up a well-deserved reputation for its stiffness and light weight. The spec of the Cannondale CAAD 9 Tiagra […]
Planet X started out in the ‘90s making dirt jump mountain bike frames out of its factory in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. More recently they’ve concentrated largely on the development of the road side as well as their range of track, triathlon and time-trial. The Planet X SL Pro Carbon Ultegra 6700 is a winner when […]
If super-slick aero framesets were the memorable sight of September’s Eurobike, and German sausage the memorable taste, the memorable sound was a cool R2D2-style motor noise. Everywhere you went, it seemed, you could hear the clicking and whirring of a Shimano Dura Ace Di2 mech being fiddled with. The Di2 adorned nearly every single top-end […]
Two LEDs powered by a single Li-ION gives this light plenty of punch with a long, penetrating beam. It also has a good light spread that shows plenty of immediate detail. It’s certainly good enough for hammering the trails off-road and down dark country lanes. Mounting is simplicity itself, and while Cat-Eye’s single-shot model has […]
This handlebar-mounted integral light and battery unit is easy to fit and straightforward to use. It has two power settings that are adequate for street use, plus occasional unlit road riding. A single button – mounted centre at the top of the unit – flips through low and high power, and also boasts a flash […]
Basically, for another £75 this doubles up the light power of the Light and Motion Stella 150 by having two light units instead of one. The lights can be placed together on your handlebars or placed up to 15 centimetres apart. The result is a penetrating beam of light that’s good enough for safe road […]
A robust single light with a two watt LED and a Lithium Ion battery that fits neatly on top of a bike stem. It was powerful, gave a surprisingly wide beam and was suitable for countryside use. The battery pack and light unit both have solid, easy to assemble mounts, onto which the light and […]
A hugely powerful four LED lamp unit with five light modes, ranging from dipped light for urban areas up to the ultra-bright level four, which would work beautifully on a gnarly off-road track. All of these modes (including the handy flash) are operated by a single on/off button, which is ideally positioned for gloved thumbs. […]
This well-made light is intended for road use. It’s easy to mount on a very solid metal bracket and boasts some nice features, including a separate switch that can be placed anywhere on your handlebars and operated while wearing gloves. Its two LEDs give a wide, penetrating beam and, despite the battery pack being part […]
With a combined weight of 174g for unit and battery pack, this is extremely light for its power. It’s so light, in fact, that if you put the light and battery pack on your helmet you won’t notice it. Yet despite this, the MiNewt Mini knocks out a hefty beam, claimed to be 110 lumens […]
Two powerful LEDs are mounted facing a reflector, which then casts forward a wide beam of penetrating light. The handlebar-mounted unit is bulky because it includes the NIMH battery pack, and although fitting is easy, we felt the bracket was a bit weedy for what is a relatively heavy unit. This is a bike-only light, […]
The NiMH battery makes this small light a little heavier than the MiNewt Mini, but it packs in 40 more lumens in a slightly wider beam. Critically, there’s also more control. A push button on the light unit switches first to full power, then lower power and flash mode. This is good because it gets […]
This was the mighty atom of the test, giving out a huge amount of light from a tiny source – an incredible 220 lumens at full power. Amazingly,all this power comes from two lithium batteries. Fitting the ExposureSpark to your bike is as simple as pulling two tie wraps in place; it really is that […]
Ideal for beginners unable to splash out (I’m sorry) on a waterproof camera, this is a fully waterproof, buoyant case suitable for cameras and camera phones. The idea is that the transparent PVC wallet allows you to take photos under, in or around water, safeguarding the shutter and all the buttons. We tested it with […]
If ever there was a classic text on bike maintenance, this has to be it. And, with this latest edition including SRAM Red, Shimano electric and Campag 11 speed, it’s certainly right up to date. The joy of this third edition, like its predecessors, is that it goes from super simple tasks – such as […]
Until this product test, I’d never found a gel that delivered quite the right combination of intense energy without tickling the gag reflex due to a somewhat claggy overload of the mouth. The Carboshotz achieve this and then some. Pleasingly, there’s a good range of flavours, with Wild Bean (with 80mg of caffeine for tougher […]
AceCo specialises in precision engineering and has produced this K-Edge Chain Catcher – recently seen on Bradley Wiggins’ Felt – with the dual aim of keeping your chain in place and protecting your frame from damage caused by a derailed chain. It works only with braze-on style front derailleur, is just 10 grammes and, tucked […]
With most of the SRAM-sponsored teams in the pro peloton running these derailleur cables, it’s a sure bet they offer pretty snappy performance. I’m a convert to the sealed versions on my mountain bike and cyclocross steeds, and immediately noticed improved shifting, increased resilience to mud and crud, and prolonged durability. This latest incarnation is […]
Like all compression gear, these RGA Compress Calf Guards are designed to help improve circulation and drive nasties – such as lactate build-up and other waste products – from your muscles for a speedier recovery following intense training and/or racing. The RGAs can be worn during or post-exercise and are easy to put on and […]
The Gorilla Cage is a smart looking piece of carbon that’s not going to look out of place on even the fanciest steed. And, at £37.99, it’s competitively priced compared to other carbon cages. Hitting a pothole and losing bottles can spell disaster but here my bottle stayed firmly in place despite hard mountain biking. […]
If you want to get to the bottom of your swim limitations, or have aspirations of becoming a coach, then the Sharkeye could be for you. This standalone underwater camera lets you walk alongside a swimmer – pending approval from your pool – to capture their technique as well as being able to view the […]
The marketing and hype flying around the award-gobbling Newton shoes has so far left me – unlike thousands of others – feeling somewhat lukewarm, but I felt I needed to give this new model the impartial once over to see what the fuss was about. The Isaacs are aimed at runners who want to move […]
Mavic’s HC shorts are designed for longer rides or road races. The padding is plentiful and the thickness varies to produce the most comfortable and flexible padding you could wish for, with the external elastic gripper holding the shorts in place well. The shoulder straps are made from breathable netting and are well shaped with […]
The Nike Sock Racer and the Newton Gravity are just two of the innovative run-related products to split the running community in recent times. And, with both a groundswell of support from the barefoot running community (including Born to Run author Chris McDougall) and the naysayers repulsed by that aesthetic assault, the Vibrams have joined […]
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