For those of you who can’t wait until the reviews come out in the magazine or go up online, here’s another in our new series of pre-emptive peeks into recent test product arrivals.

>>> Dirty Deals: cheap Pikes, jackets, flat pedals and much more

Alpinestars Mesa jersey

Price: £45.00
From: zyrofisher.co.uk

The Mesa is a bit more than your standard jersey. Plenty of mesh panels and low collar make it a great option for riding in the heat (although I think we might have had our summer now). The Mesa also features a pretty big hidden pocket with ‘multimedia interactivity’ ie. it has a hole to stick your headphones through…

Alpinestars Hyperlight 2 shorts

Price: £65.00
From: zyrofisher.co.uk

Light and loose is the name of the game with the Hyperlight 2 shorts. They are cut to be the ideal length to avoid any unsightly flashes of pasty white thigh when using knee pads. Two deep front pockets and a zippered thigh pocket should keep your Haribo Starmix safe…

Alpinestars Crew socks

Price: £15.00
From: zyrofisher.co.uk

These footbags have lightly padded shins to help prevent the attack of the brambles. They also have a cushioned sole for cosseted comfort when walking your bike to the trailhead (nobody rides uphill anymore!) Left- and Right-specific to confuse most of us first thing in the morning…

Alpinestars Paragon knee guards

Price: £40.00
From: zyrofisher.co.uk 

Super light knee pad with a hard cap. The Paragon extends the protection further down the knee than other guards to give a little more reassurance. The sleeve-like design and internal silicon grippers help keep it in place over sweaty knees…

Canyon CNC keyring

Price: Free (from the Pure Bike Festival in Germany)
From: canyon.com

Ok, so not exactly a proper product, but there is nothing cooler than watching a massive CNC machine carve out an intricate shape from a lump of metal. This keyring is made in the same machine they use to manufacture the prototype bits seen on the likes of Joe Barnes and Fabien Barel’s bikes. Get yourself to Canyon’s Pure Bike Festival in Koblenz next year to get your own…

Lake MX 237 Supercross shoe

Price: £210.00
From: moorelarge.co.uk

Lake has a reputation of creating properly comfortable shoes using proper leather to give an almost custom fit. The MX 237 is their latest hardcore XC race shoe, it uses an abrasion resistant leather treatment and dual BOA dials to keep the shoe in place. It’s also available with pink highlights if gold isn’t your thing..!

Lake Bioceramic socks

Price: £10.99
From: moorelarge.co.uk

These socks will make you faster. Bio-ceramic fabrics help prevent sunburn, insulate against heat and cold and aid the absorption of FIR (Far Infrared Rays) that ‘enhance the body’s microcirculatory system and strengthen the metabolic system’…

Altura Phantom short sleeve jersey

Price: £34.99
From: zyrofisher.co.uk

The short sleeve version of one of our favourite jerseys. Properly soft materials equal a luxurious feel and a bigger mesh back than it’s long sleeved brethren for pack wearing comfort. The geometric design on the sleeves match Altura’s Apache short…

Until next week, enjoy the riding. The weather’s looking good. Well, ish.