Component and Accessory Reviews

Mavic Sprint Road Pedals

Value

Performance

Quality entry level pedals that are ideal for clipless novices but with some doubts about cleat durability.

Tubus Logo Titan rack £160

Value

Performance

Featherweight titanium rack that’s simple engineering at its best.

Klarus XT2C Flashlight £55

Value

Performance

An impressive output coupled with long runtimes make this a fantastic value package with plenty of upgrade options.

SKS Race Saddle Bag XS £17

Value

Performance

Minimalist under saddle storage option.

Shimano 105 CS-5700 11-28 Cassette

Value

Performance

Top-notch alternative cluster that’s easy to swap and gives a wider range of gearing options for getting up hills and flying down the other side.

Brooks B15 Swallow Saddle (Chrome) £145

Value

Performance

The grandaddy of the racing saddle. What it lacks in high tech innovation it makes up for in comfort.

Old Man Mountain Cold Springs rear rack £115

Value

Performance

Premium aluminium rack that fits most bikes and offers a great-looking, stable and light platform for touring luggage.

Biologic iPhone 4 case £45

Value

Performance

Rugged, weatherproof case with a rotating handlebar or stem mount that’s purpose-built for the Apple iPhone.

Klarus XT10 Flashlight £65

Value

Performance

A practical, hand-held torch with the power and run-time to make for a fantastic value cycle light.

Saris Bones 3 Bike Rack £140

Value

Performance

A secure, robust bike carrier that belies its plasticky looks.

TRP EuroX Alloy Cantilever Brakes £100

Value

Performance

Wide profile cantilever brakes that are light, reasonably powerful and superbly made. Designed for Cyclocross but good for tourers too.

SRAM Apex Groupset £680

Value

Performance

Sensibly priced 20-speed groupset with super low gearing. Twin chainrings keep it light while a large 11-32 tooth cassette gives the range. Ideal for touring, training and cyclocross.

Fox The Duncan Sport Sunglasses with Polarized Lens £165

Value

Performance

Light, comfortable, stylish and impact resistant sunglasses with interchangeable lenses and a wide field of vision ideal on and off the bike.

Adamo Road £110 & Peak £90 saddles

Value

Performance

A forward thinking, comfortable, durable saddle perfect for anyone who has ever suffered from excessive soreness or numbness.

Ergon GC3 grips & bar ends £50

Value

Performance

Pricey but amazingly comfortable, sculpted grip for MTBs with a built-in ski-style bar end for multiple hand positions.

WeeRide Kangaroo Deluxe child seat £100

Value

Performance

Hill work may be a little more of a challenge, but this is a fantastic way for your child to travel.

Blackburn Flea 2.0 4 LED front light + USB Solar panel £40

Value

Performance

Small, rechargeable, 'be seen' light that charges quickly via a USB port or slowly via a solar panel. The light is very effective, but the charging system could be much better.

Lumicycle LED3 Si elite 26 Bag System £200

Value

Performance

A superb light with a first class battery and excellent power management and monitoring, for serious money.

Shimano M540 off-road pedals £55

Value

Performance

Quality, mid-range off-road SPD pedal from Shimano. With an uncluttered, mud-shedding mechanism and a design that’s shared with the top-of-the-range offering, it’s hard to justify spending more.

Brooks Trouser Strap £17

Value

Performance

Luxury trouser clip – the perfect present for the commuter who has everything.

NiteRider CherryBomb LED Rear Light £25

Value

Performance

Powerful and exceptionally bright rear LED light that's clearly visible in daylight from a good distance and can be seen from about a mile away after dark. It also offers a broad angle-of-view and gives decent side-on visibility, too.

NiteRider Lightning Bug 3.0 & Stinger light set £30

Value

Performance

Small, lightweight 'be seen' LED light set with a long runtime and a good front flasher, but the rear unit is compromised by an awkward battery replacement process.

Light & Motion Stella 300 front light £225

Value

Performance

Good-looking bar or helmet light with a tiny lamp unit and a huge run time. It’s pricey for its output, but is a class act for unlit roads or light off-road use.

NiteRider MiNewt.350 LED front light £200

Value

Performance

Brilliant lightweight illumination that punches through the darkness despite its diminutive size

Exposure Diablo Mk.2 front light £200

Value

Performance

Superbly built, lightweight and compact helmet light that is fuss free and as bright as you’re ever going to need. One hour run time can be extended with extra ‘piggy back’ battery.

Hope Vision 2 LED front light £195

Value

Performance

A dazzlingly bright front light that’s beautifully made for a premium price.

Kinesis DC19 Cyclo-cross / Urban / Touring fork £130

Value

Performance

Sleek, robust disc-specific carbon and alloy forks with good vibration absorption and plenty of mud and wheel clearance.

Light and Motion Vis 180 Rear Light £100

Value

Performance

A very bright, easy to fit, rechargeable rear light with dedicated amber side lights perfect for commuters.

CatEye TL-LD1100 10 Led Rear Light £35

Value

Performance

Great all round visibility, long burn time and straight-forward functionality

Avid BB5 Road 160mm mechanical front disc brake £61

Value

Performance

A smooth, reliable, judder and fade free disc brake ideal for quicker cornering on cyclo-cross races with hardwearing pads and a platinum finish

Trail-Gator Bicycle Tow Bar £75

Value

Performance

A brilliant alternative to tag-along bikes that gives you more flexibility and allows your kids to take far more control of their own cycling.

Allay Racing 2.1 Saddle £75

Value

Performance

Innovative saddle with adjustable air cushion to optimise your comfort and built-in mount for RedLite UFO mini rear light or Topeak saddle bag.

Schwalbe Marathon Racer 700x35c tyres £30 each

Value

Performance

Excellent, puncture-protected tyres that manage to give a cushioned ride over poorer road surfaces without weighing you down or compromising your speed.

Cateye TL-LD610 Five LED Rear Light £25

Value

Performance

Super bright rear light with five LED’s, four operating modes and up to 60 hour run time. Comes with universal fixing bracket.

SKS Chromoplastic mudguard set £30 (700c) £33 (MTB)

Value

Performance

Superb, full-length mudguards that are robust and dependable and come in a variety of widths for different tyre sizes. Fitting can be fiddly, but once they're on, they're great.

Mont Blanc Triton 400 roof box £360 (black) or £325 (silver)

Value

Performance

Half-width roof box that stashes a 390-litre load alongside a couple of bikes. With gas struts for opening and a central locking system, it’s well featured, and it looks the part, too.

Michelin Air Comp Latex Road Inner Tube £8

Value

Performance

Expensive light weight tubes for lower rolling resistance

Specialized Toupe Road Saddle £70

Value

Performance

A high performance, lightweight road saddle with an under carriage friendly perch

BLOC Stealth Multi-Lens Sunglasses £45

Value

Performance

Good value eyewear, with three interchangeable lenses ideal for all year round use.

Brooks B17 Standard saddle £67

Value

Performance

Traditionally designed UK made leather saddle that’s a comfort benchmark

Mont Blanc Discovery Roof Mount Cycle Carrier £90

Value

Performance

Excellent roof-mounted cycle carrier that supports the bike for easy loading, takes all sizes and styles of cycles, and secures your bike to the rack and the rack to the car with a single lock

Look Kéo Classic Road Pedal £50

Value

Performance

A great value clip-in pedal for road bikes, but not without its flaws

Tifosi Slip Glasses £46

Value

Performance

Great comfort, good value and excellent performance when you’re out on the road

Shimano 105 SPD-SL Road Pedals £60

Value

Performance

Not the lightest but excellent value and a very durable pedal ideal for any road cyclist on a budget

Cateye Strada Wireless Cycle Computer £50

Value

Performance

Top-notch, button-free, cordless cycle computer sporting all the major functions and an easy-to-read, big screen display

Endura Shark Glasses £30

Value

Performance

Bargain price, triple-lens cycling shades with great wind, sun and impact protection

Knog Skink Front & Rear 4 LED lights £17 each

Value

Performance

Great primary lights for around town, good secondary lights for longer country rides and ideal for cyclists with more than one bike

Crud Roadracer Mudguards £28

Value

Performance

A cheap, light, easy-to-detach plastic solution ideal for riders who don’t have a specific winter bike with heavier duty metal mudguards already attached

Pro Bike Gear Storage Bottle £6

Value

Performance

Low-cost, tool storage tube that fits in a bottle cage

Garmin Edge 705 £400

Value

Performance

Usability

The Edge 705 is an astonishingly capable all in one training and navigation device that needs additional mapping and a good amount of time spent learning how to use it to get the most from it

Camelbak Podium ChillJacket Bottle £13

Value

Performance

Great for warm or cool drinks on cold or hot weather rides

Knog Gekko 3 LED Rear Light £16

Value

Performance

Brilliant mounting concept that makes this ideal as a back up light or additional lighting for people with more than one bike

B.O.B. Ibex Trailer with Dry Sak £430

Value

Performance

A fantastically strong and useful off-road trailer for both mtb treks and commuting

RSP Night Burst Rear Light £10

Value

Performance

Great value and ideal as a back up light or for urban riding but you might want more visibility than this offers for dark country roads and serious night riding

RSP Asteri 3 Front Light £70

Value

Performance

A sleek looking all rounder ideal for seeing and being seen on roads and trails

Pedalite Visibility Pedal Lights £40

Value

Performance

A welcome high-viz addition to any commuting bike, but they are slightly heavier than normal pedals and create a very slight but noticeable resistance

RSP Astrum Rear Light £26

Value

Performance

Reasonably priced, easy to fit, super bright rear light