Crankbrother has today launched an alloy version of their 'tuned' Synthesis carbon wheels that come at a fraction of the price, are still front and rear specific and still use the coveted Industry 9 hubs.

Pearson Cycles is hosting a series of four gravel rides to highlight the mental health benefits of riding a bike with two charities, Action for Happiness (AFH) and The Mental Health Foundation (MHF) benefitting from 100% of the ticket cost of the Inside Out rides.

Nukeproof has just launched its own range of kids bikes, based on the ever popular Scout hardtail mountain bike. They say the lightweight alloy Cub-Scout is for mini shredders and is based on the bikes that the kids of Nigel Page and Sam Hill wanted to ride.

The Alpinestars Stella Cascade Gore-Tex women’s glove is warm, soft-lined and usefully bulk-free for winter trail riding, and it's well-made. The shaping is odd, though, with a narrow wrist and fingers that can restrict blood flow – ironically leaving you with cold hands despite the effective fabrics.

The Bluegrass Eagle Skinny is a no-frills, no-fuss knee pad that's robust and pretty light too. Thick knee cups promise decent protection and they're secure when pedalling, but fit is poor and they tend to move, chafe and rub. Discomfort on pedally rides ultimately makes the low price feel less of a bargain.

25 years ago Muc-Off engineered the first-ever bottle of bike-specific wash, now they are branching out into technical riding kit for bad weather with a range of waterproof jackets, shorts, riding jersey's and more, complimenting their new bag range.

From a budget Vitus bike to a low cost Smith helmet, the first part of this week's five cool things is looking easy on the wallet. Moving on, we are testing chain lube from Fenwicks, some rather fancy clothing from 100% and a new Bianchi e-bike called the T-Tronik Performer. Dig in.....

The Castelli Prosecco R women's short sleeve base layer is a warm, luxuriously soft underlayer that's great for chilly winter rides. The fit is a little odd though – it's best for longer, taller riders – and its not the cheapest option out there.