Here’s what we’re excited about this month. Tacky shoes, courier-inspired shorts, waterless cleaners, carbon lids, patella protectors, foot pumps and more.

>>> Dirty Deals: kit bags, pink pedals, e-bike tyres and much more!

Most wanted!

UNparallel Dust Up, £115

We’ve been here before. Excited to try a new flat pedal shoe that we thought could rival the superlative Five Tens, only to be disappointed because it’s just not grippy enough. Except this time we really could have something to worry the Stealth Rubber makers, in the shape of the Dust Up from new US brand UNparallel, which claims to have a tackier and grippier sole than the famous Five Ten.

The compound UNparallel is using has a durometer of 45-50 where your foot sits on the pedal, making it ever so slightly stickier than Stealth, at least on paper. The sole also has two compounds that have been bonded together to try and get the right balance between durability and grip — the sticky centre is bordered by a harder 75-80 perimeter, that’s also half a millimetre thicker. UNparallel says the sole has a medium level of stiffness, but we’ll have to let you know what that really means when we review them later in the year.

The upper is synthetic and features laces and a Velcro lace tidy, and the upper and the sole tread really reminds us of Teva’s brief foray into the flat pedal space five years ago. That’s no coincidence, UNparallel’s founder Sang Lee helped design that shoe and bought the tooling from them, something that’s been used for the Dust Up.

So what we’re looking at is Teva’s old flat pedal shoe, updated here and there but essentially very similar, but with the crucial addition of sticky rubber. We’re saying this like it’s a bad thing, and it’s really not — the Teva shoe was one of the most comfortable out there, and the only thing letting it down was the gripless sole. UNparallel could well have made something special with its first toe in the water, the Dust Up. darkventures.co.uk

Fulsome features

Chrome Folsom shorts, £110

With a slim fit and water resistant 4-way stretch material the Chrome Folsom short is stylish and practical. Seamless double layer crotch, reinforced seams and a webbed strap to take a D-lock. chromeindustries.com

50 shades

Endura MT500 jersey, £37.99

Limited edition version of the Endura MT500 jersey, made from lightweight, wicking fabric. Slim fit, comes in eight sizes, green or black colours and if you don’t like it Endura will refund you within 90 days of purchase. endurasport.com

Cotton candid

Broken Riders T-shirt, £25.00

Broken Riders T-shirts are climate neutral because they’re made from organic cotton, FairWear certified, and made in a renewables-powered factory. Comes in six sizes and dozens of colours and prints. brokenridersuk.com

Dry cleaning

Muc-Off Waterless Wash, £11.99

Muc-Off says its new Waterless Wash cleans and polishes at the same time, just spray it on and wipe off with a cloth. It’s for light washes mind, anything really mucky needs a proper wash. muc-off.com

Bell Full 9 Fusion helmet, £219.99

The Full 9 Fusion helmet from Bell is based on the top end Full 9 carbon lid, costs less but packs in the features like MIPS liner, 13 vents and ports, and a claimed weight of 1,080g. zyrofisher.co.uk

Clean and green

WPL Bio-Solvent Degreaser, £8.49

Earth friendly Bio-Solvent Degreaser from WPL isn’t based on petroleum, instead it’s non-toxic and bio-based to dislodge dirt and grime. tftuned.com

Patella protection

100% Fortis Level 1 knee pads, £69.99

There are four new kneepads from 100% and this Fortis Level 1 pad is ideal for trail riding, with neoprene and foam padding, combined with a hard plastic shell. Opens out fully too, for easy on. silverfish-uk.com

Air max

SKS Airstep, £64.99

The SKS Airstep takes foot pump technology to your bike, with a large pressure gauge, integrated storage space for the spiral hose and multivalve head. Max pressure, 7 bar. zyrofisher.co.uk

Pack light

Osprey Raven 10, £110.00

Osprey’s Raven 10 women’s pack features a 2.5 litre reservoir and tailored shape, vented backpanel, integrated tool wrap and loads of storage compartments and side pockets.