The electrically assisted bike is here to stay, there's no disputing it. What started as a rudimentary motor and battery bolted to a frame has since morphed into a viable concept with some impressively stealthy bikes now available. And they ride just like a regular, pedal-assisted bike. The strategic use of carbon fibre has helped drop grams and clever engineering evenly distributes weight over both axles making for a balanced ride.

Cannondale’s latest entry to the burgeoning best gravel bike space is the Topstone Alloy, a bike aimed at bringing gravel riding to a broader demographic thanks to a more accessible price point.

Shimano has unveiled two new e-MTB 11- and 12-speed XT groupsets, a Cues Di2 range of e-bike-specific drivetrains, an all-new EP6 motor as well as updated the existing EP8 which will now be called the EP801.

As far as the best gravel bikes go, carbon fibre is the go-to material when it comes to frame and fork construction. And while it does have many benefits, metal frames can deliver an equally impressive riding experience, too, and I’m not talking about aluminium, steel or titanium here but rather magnesium. Yep, you read that right.

Following hot on the heels of the recently launched Garmin Edge 1040 and 1040 Solar cycling computers is the revamped Wahoo Elemnt Roam. The new model is built around the notion of enhanced navigation and subsequently features a host of upgraded attributes to help keep it relevant among the best cycling computers.

British brand Parcours has forged a reputation for bringing quality and affordable wheelsets to a broader cycling demographic, and its range spans most disciplines as a result.

Swedish brand POC has revealed the latest entrant to its ever-growing cycling sunglasses portfolio. Dubbed the Propel, they join the Devour, Elicit and Aspire as POC’s best cycling sunglasses - and for very good reason. They’ve been aerodynamically optimised through computational fluid dynamic testing (CFD) to reduce drag and optimise airflow around the rider and their body position by way of a unique lens and temple design.​

Known for its exquisite and hardy steel-framed mountain bikes, British-based company Ragley has turned its hand to the burgeoning gravel bike market and distilled its off-road knowledge into the drop-bar bike pictured here. The result is the Ragely Trig - a mountain bike-inspired gravel bike built around the 650b wheel standard.

Yes, I know the drill - you shouldn’t cycle with headphones as all your senses should be operating at maximum capacity for safety reasons. And while I tend to agree with this notion, what if the product in question doesn’t block out or affect audio awareness? Well, there is a solution and it comes from the Beijing-based company Oladance.

I first sampled the YT Szepter gravel bike in San Clemente, USA, at the bike’s international debut late last year. It impressed me on all fronts and made mince meat of the route mapped out for us but an objective assessment would mean testing it here in the UK, too. The terrain on offer in and around the Surrey Hills – where I do the bulk of my off-road riding – is slower and more technical than the open expanses of California and I was keen to see how it would do in this predominantly wet and slippery terrain.