What we're excited about this month
Here’s what we’re excited about most this month. Wavey lids, womens pants, tri-some hoops, floaty grips and much else besides.
>>> Dirty Deals: big Oakleys, Specialized 2FO flat shoes, camping stuff and much more!
Most wanted
Bontrager Blaze WaveCel helmet, £199.99
The race to add greater, more sophisticated and pricier technology into our helmets is hotting up, with Bontrager’s new propitiatory WaveCel system, designed to dissipate forces better in a crash. WaveCel works like a crumple zone to flex, subside and glide out of the way, reducing the stress on your head.
Of course it’s not the only brand out there doing this, WaveCel joins the clutch of other technologies promising to protect us better than simple EPS foam, alongside the likes of longstanding MIPS, Koroyd, the Specialized Angi crash monitoring system, and Leatt’s own Turbine approach.
So what’s new about WaveCel? The substantial safety claims, for starters. Bontrager says WaveCel is “48x more effective than standard foam helmets in preventing concussions caused by common cycling accidents,” according to its own tests, which involve a 45° angled impact at 6.2m/s. That’s quite some boast, and we hope they’re right because anything that protects us better in a crash is good news. But interestingly, Koroyd and MIPS both came out publicly to challenge these claims, with MIPS running its own testing on WaveCel and failing to find the same results, but we’ve no way of verifying the claims.
The Blaze isn’t all about WaveCel of course, it has a host of nice touches, like a Boa closure so you can adjust the fit with the twist of your hand, and a Fidlock magnetic buckle that snaps together with no fuss. It’s not the only place you’ll find a magnet on the Blaze either, there’s a mounting block to attach a light or POV camera that magnetically attaches to the helmet. Then there are a host of anti-microbial pads, vents for cool running and a free helmet replacement if you smash it up within a year of ownership.
Bulletproof pants
Fox Defend, £130
Fox is one of the few brands making women’s fit pants, the Defend features Kevlar fibres to resist trail scrapes, a ratchet closure and trendy tapered leg fit.
Whyte Trail jersey and short, £54.95 and £64.95
Whyte’s getting into the clothing game, with the new Trail range. The jersey is 50% Coolmax and the shorts are made from both two and four-way stretch fabric. Two colours, multiple sizes.
Three spoke
Spengle wheels, €1,490
Spengle’s famous tri-blade is back, a carbon monocoque build designed to distribute forces more evenly than a conventional wheel. Lifetime warranty, 120kg weight limit for rider and bike.
Air support
Revgrips, $89.95
Revgrips are isolated from your handlebar by a few millimetres or air, meaning only the shock-absorbing clamps actually make contact with your bars. Comes in three sizes, and with a half-waffle grip option.
Black mirror
Smith Squad MTB goggles, £85.00
These Squad MTB goggles use Smith’s Chromapop lens technology, which they claim adds greater definition and clarity… perfect if you’re rocking this icecool black lens.
Proper cleaner
Proper Degreaser, £10.00
Guy Martin’s Proper Degreaser comes in a dry sachet, you just add water yourself meaing there’s less weight to ship around. It’s biodegradable, vegan friendly and Eco Label approved.
Super dry
Fin Super, £15.00
Fin Super is a dry lubricant from Interflon that uses tiny, negatively charged particles to magnetically bond to your drivetrain. Cleans and protects, colourless, dissolves rust.
Tough rubber
IRC Mibro, £55.00
Designed for e-bike use, the E-Mibro by moto brand IRC has reinforced cross-mesh sidewalls to provide extra support and pinchflat defence on weightier bikes.
Italian style
Trail Bros T-shirt, €17.00
The Trail Bros organise guided rides in the open-access trail network they helped build in Massa Marittima — buy a Tuscany T-shirt and support their noble efforts.