23g POC Elicit sunglasses, Cinelli's Zydeco Mud bike, Schwalbe tyres and more
Five Cool Things plus the best news and reviews from the week
The year might be drawing to a close but the test kit keeps rolling in through the doors, and the products appear to be getting more interesting by the week. This week's Five Cool Things features a broad spread gear - including a 23g pair of POC Elicit Clarity sunglasses, Signature bibs from Kostüme, and not to mention Cinelli's new Zydeco Mud gravel bike. As always, our round-up covers the best news stories and reviews that made headlines this week. So what are you waiting for? Grab a coffee, sit back and enjoy the read.
- Types of bike tyres - how to find the best tyre option for you
- The 10 best bar bags for off-road riding
- The best base layers for mountain biking - cycling under layers
It was a week filled with product announcements on the news and reviews front, including the announcement of Rapha's partnership with Gore-Tex to create the A/W Performance Trailwear collection. As gravel continues to define itself, more and more discipline-specific kit is coming to the fore and none more so than the best gravel wheelsets which combine the very best attributes of road and mountain biking. Staying with gravel, we explore whether you can use a road bike helmet for MTB and gravel riding.
There's also an Altura competition to win £500 worth of Autumn/Winter kit, ideal considering the colder days are fast approaching. Last but certainly not least, we introduce arguably the greatest of all time, mountain bike icon John Tomac.
POC Elicit Clarity sunglasses
£180 / $250 / €240
POC Elicit Clarity sunglasses front on, by Aaron Borrill
Weighing in at 23g, POC's Elicit Clarity are the lightest sunglasses in the world. The frameless design is quite unlike other models in POC's range eschewing the traditional hinge design for two snap-hinge anchor points that mount directly to the lens - this has helped shave around 9-10g off the standard segment average.
The POC Elicit Clarity sunglasses are available in six colour options (Hydrogen White, Uranium Black, Fluorescent Orange, Actinium Pink, Sapphire Purple and Lemon Calcite) and can be paired with three lens choices: Gold, Silver and Define, including a spare clear lens. In terms of construction, the lens features a Ri-Pel coating - a hydrophobic and oleophobic treatment that protects the lens from water, dirt, oil, sweat and debris, as well as complete protection from UVA and UVB rays (UV400 rated).
Whether or not they are durable enough to withstand the rigours of winter and off-road use, only time will tell but expect a full off-road-rated review to be published in the coming months.
Cinelli Zydeco Mud gravel bike
£1,899
Cinelli Zydeco Mud gravel bike in profile, by Aaron Borrill
Esteemed Italian frame builder, Cinelli, has launched its new gravel bike - dubbed the Zydeco Mud. Utilising a kaleidoscopic colour scheme, the Cinelli Zydeco Mud gravel bike makes no bones about its chameleonic, go-anywhere tendencies.
In terms of its capabilities, we are yet to put them to the test but, according to Cinelli's product literature, the Zydeco Mud's raised bottom bracket and decreased head tube angle bestow it with the ability to dismiss demanding terrain not to mention fully cover you when it comes to bikepacking add-ons and rack mounting points.
Employing a full carbon fork and with clearance for up to 40mm tyres, the Cinelli Zydeco Mud gravel bike looks like a promising option, especially among the best gravel bikes under £2,000.
Schwalbe G-One Overland Evo Super Ground gravel tyres
£64.99
Schwalbe G-One Overland Evo Super Ground TLE tyres, by Aaron Borrill
The Schwalbe G-One Overland Evo Super Ground pictured here is the latest tyre added to the brand's G-One line-up of the best gravel tyres. The tyres have been designed for both on- and off-road use with a tread pattern built around a shallow centre with raised shoulder knobs.
Weighing 585g per tyre (in 700x45c configuration), they are not the lightest option around but will provide impressive protection and durability levels. According to Schwalbe, they are also e-bike friendly.
Tight Bicycle Co's Helmet Tubes Handlebar Bag Support
£50
Tight bicycle co Helmet Tubes - Handlebar Bag Support, by Grant Wildman
I got to have a quick test of a set of these Helmet Tubes on my recent East Anglian adventure and really liked the way they pushed the bar bag that housed my tent away from the cables and frame - without adding excessive weight or bulk to the set-up. Made of seamless 316 stainless steel, and reinforced with a polymer resin core, a pair of these weighs 165g and they can be attached to most modern face plates. And, because they're made in-house, they can be customised in case your bike is more unique.
A full review of these tubes is coming up later, but for now, these are one of the most interesting-looking solutions for the problems that all bikepackers experience.
- Suvi Loponen, staff writer
Kostüme Women's Signature Bib Short
£180
It's always exciting to see brands do things differently and Bristol-based Kostüme is one of those. They make innovative cycling apparel featuring exclusive, limited edition artist designs and premium recycled materials. They only release a limited number of kit at a time, reducing the waste caused by unsold stock.
Kostüme's women's Signature bibs have been designed to be the most comfortable on the market, which alone is a bold claim - but they also state to be sausage-free on the legs, thanks to the raw cut hems. First impressions from me: they might be onto something here... but you need to wait for the full review to see if these really are the comfiest on the market!
- Suvi Loponen, staff writer
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