Mountain climbs are close to the heart of the bikrader collective. Led by former video manager and hill climb maestro Joe Norledge, we enthusiastically covered mountain climbing technology and racing in 2017.
Promotional MPU article
The subsequent popularity of BikeRadar’s Hill Climb Diaries and technical galleries of events draws us back to the scene every year – you just love a lightweight bike!
The UK Hill Climb Nationals are the culmination of an intense season and one of cycling’s greatest spectacles.
This year’s Nationals were held at The Struggle – an incredible 4.4km brute climb rising from the Lake District town of Ambleside. Our very own Jack Evans represented BikeRadar on the mountain, along with now-video manager Felix Smith, to cover the tech from the race.
As always, the bikes were wild, the crowds crowded and the weather wet.
Attending the Nationals is an annual highlight of my career and I couldn’t be happier with our coverage. Please watch the video – Felix stayed up until 2.30am on Sunday morning!
With my love letter to watching cyclists rocking mountain trails, let’s get to what you came here for – the best tech swag landing at BikeRadar HQ this week.
GripGrab DryFoot 2 Waterproof Overshoes
These overshoes from GripGrab are criminally uncool, but they’re also incredibly useful.
Unlike typical tight-fitting cycling overshoes, these are designed to fit into everyday shoes. They are a must have in my cycle touring arsenal.
My (recently resolved – more on this in a moment) beloved Five Ten Five Tennis, are comfortable and grippy if not waterproof.
As we approach winter just in time, I suspect they’ll find added purpose in protecting my fashionable office shoes.
The upper is constructed of an unspecified tough polyester fabric. The toe and flexed arch strap are made from a supposedly pedal-proof aramid fiber-reinforced material.
I was skeptical that the velcro closure would hold my sinewy, perfectly toned chubby calves. However, they are, so far, safe in the dry embrace of overshoes.
- £34.06/€41.95, US price TBC
DrJ0n Bagworks DeWidget
The DrJ0n Bagworks DeWidget replaces a spacer above your stem and provides a neat mounting point for the stabilizer bar on the top tube bag.
The 3D-printed widget consists of two steps of spacers/bushings and a sliding part that is connected to a bag via an O-ring.
The mount stabilizes a bag and will be of particular interest to those with a slammed cockpit where there may not be enough room to wrap a strap around the steerer.
Just £16 for any bikepacker looking to use top tube bags.
- £16, international shipping available
Vera 844/7 7-Piece Plate Kit
I’m exposing myself as a terminal sado here, but taping and chasing thread is one of my favorite bike maintenance jobs – cutting a new thread is just as satisfying.
I’ve done a common plate and die set for years.
However, I found the long shank of the tubes limiting when trying to clean a thread in a tight spot (eg, a mudguard eyelet on a chainstay bridge).
I hope these mini vera tubes will solve my woes.
Most plates are attached to a special handle via a square head at the top of the shank.
These Wera use a standard ¼ in hex drive instead of plates, so you can fit them into a drill (although I’m not sure why you’d want to) or several standard small ratchets.
They are a little more expensive than the budget tape set, but I expect them to get a lot of use in the years to come.
Coincidentally, Dr. John of Dr. John Bakeworks let me know about these plates through his Instagram account – what a shortcut!
- £65.55, international price TBC
K-Edge Limited Edition Max XL Combo Out-Front Mount
K-Edge makes great outdoor bike computer mounts.
Max is K-Edge’s strongest mount. This particular variant has a three-pronged GoPro-style mount or an action camera below the computer to attach the lights.
This limited edition finish mount is really great for being purple, so it’s a perfect match for the purple on my Surly Steamroller.
At £89.99, it’s pretty expensive for a computer mount, but can you put a price on style? In this case, I’m leaning towards yes…
- £89.99, international price TBC
My settled five tens and five tennies
First Look Friday is BikeRadar’s weekly offering to the consumer gods but, as a chronic irony, I like to include used or refurbished kit from time to time to prove how worthy I am.
Kidding aside, I always take the time to highlight opportunities to fix things.
Repair is often a cheaper and, of course, more environmentally friendly option than replacement.
A good example is the five ten five tennis that I recently solved.
As far as I can tell, this model has been discontinued by Five Ten (a huge shame) and the original Stealth outsole is starting to wear thin.
For just £56, Cheshire Shoe Repair Vibram fixed the shoes with the New Boulder Idrogrip – a dotty-pattern outsole that’s more sticky than the original.
The process took less than a week and I couldn’t be happier with the repair.
I only use the shoes for bicycle touring, and I have no doubt that the outsole will equally please the flat-pedal shredders who trashed the shoes.
Promotional MPU article
- £56, local repair options available
„Całkowity introwertyk. Nieprzejednany specjalista od sieci. Przyjazny fanatyk bekonu. Student ekstremalnych. Miłośnik piwa. Organizator.”