Boardman's TRVL 8.9 BD, Voodoo's Canzo Pro, a multitool from Canyon, and clothing from Rapha and Ciovita

Five Cool Things along with a recap on this week's action.

Liam Mercer

Aug 30 2024

In this week's Five Cool Things, we look at not one but two budget-friendly bikes coming from the mountain and gravel sides of the sport. On top of that, we check out Canyon's multi-tool offering (yep, the brand does more than bikes), and clothing from Rapha and Ciovita. But first, let's recap the week's top news.

Although things generally slow down during August, there's still been a lot of new releases. Hitting headlines this week was news of Trek's latest Procaliber, the brand's infamous cross-country hardtail. The Procaliber drops Trek's IsoSpeed decoupler in favour of IsoBow – extended seat stays built to encourage more flex, thus more compliance. There are also new alloy models on offer.

Speaking of alloy, Voodoo is back on the scene having unveiled its overhauled Canzo. It's a full suspension mountain bike but prices start at a very friendly £1,400 with prices going up to £1,800. With it, Voodoo has aimed to hit that performance at a budget mark with the range-topping Canzo Pro boasting a RockShox Pike fork and a Shimano Deore 12-speed drivetrain. The bike then gets 140mm of suspension at both ends and it rolls on 29-inch wheels.

The alloy theme continues as SUNringle has brought its latest 309/307 wheelsets to the fray. Both sets use alloy rims but are built for ultimate durability and to be rolled between the tapes through the world's most gruelling enduro and downhill courses.

As for features, we highlighted the essential tools you need for off-road riding, where we talk about the most basic tools that every rider needs. We also looked at the world of Boa dial retention asking, Why do most premium off-road riding shoes have Boa dials?

On the review front, we delivered our verdict on the Orbea Laufey H-LTD hardtail, Michelin's Wild Enduro MH and Shimano's CUES U8020 brakes.

Voodoo Canzo Pro

£1,800

It's been quite a while since we've seen a full suspension bike come in under the £2k mark but Voodoo has a knack for creating mega-accessible bikes. Here, we've got the Canzo Pro and, from the outset, it's packed with components that aren't just easy on the wallet but rather good in the performance stakes, too.

For your £1,800, you get a 6061 alloy frame draped with a RockShox Pike fork and a Deluxe Select+ shock at the rear, both delivering 140mm of damping. Shifting is handled by Shimano's humble but excellent Deore 12-speed drivetrain paired with Shimano BR-MT401 hydraulic brakes. The Maxxis DHR II and Dissector tyres sit on WTB ST i30 rims.

The new Canzo Pro's geometry firmly places it into the trail category with this large framed bike getting a 478.3mm reach, a 65-degree head tube angle, and a 75.5 seat tube angle. The chainstay comes in at 435mm.

www.halfords.com

Ciovita Men's AR Long Sleeve Trail Tee

£54

With a name that means 'life in motion' in a combination of Latin and Italian, the South African brand is all about innovation and pushing its products. Its clothing is worn by category leaders of the Cape Epic and Epic Series events.

Here, we've got Ciovita's AR Long Sleeve Trail Tee and it's built using a bunch of fabrics. Most of it employs polyester, with polyester mesh inserts incorporated to provide airflow and there's an Italian mesh insert that runs down the back of the jersey to further increase breathability.

The jersey boasts a refined fit with a v-neck and an elongated lower back. It's stacked with features, too, including a sunglasses wipe and a handy pocket at the lower back.

www.ciovita.com

Boardman TRVL 8.9 DB

£1,800

Boardman is best known for blending low cost with high performance and its latest aggressive gravel bike offering is a case in point. Coming in at £1,800, the TRVL 8.9 DB is equipped with a RockShox Rudy suspension fork with 40mm of travel and SRAM's Apex 12-speed hydraulic groupset.

That's bolted onto a 6061 alloy frame which rolls on a set of Boardman's own wheels, wrapped with Goodyear Connector 700x45mm tyres. It's also routed to run a stealth dropper post which is ideal if you're looking to push the limits of gravel into mountain bike territory.

This bike gets even more exciting when we look at the geometry. The medium frame pictured here dons a 70.5-degree head tube angle with a 74-degree seat-tube angle. Reach is pegged at 395mm and the chainstay is 430mm.

www.boardmanbikes.com

Rapha Core Jersey and Bibshorts

£78 - £110

A running theme of this week's Five Cool Things, Rapha's Core range is designed to hit the mark between performance and value while being suitable for everyday use.

The Core Jersey comes with a loose fit to help with airflow and boost comfort and it's built with a soft, matte fabric for comfort in all conditions. It's loaded with silicone grippers to keep it in place and there's the signature 'Rapha' armband.

The Core Bib Shorts are designed for the same goal. They get flatlock seams, high-stretch bib straps and a dense-knit fabric for support.

rapha.cc

Canyon 3-in-1 Minitool

£61.95

Although Canyon is well known for some of the best mountain bikes, it carries a range of tools and other bits and bobs to make life that bit easier. However, there's been a similar level of design put into the 3-in-1 Minitool as there has been in the Spectral CF 9 mountain bike.

Wrapped within a neat neoprene pouch is the tool and a selection of double-ended, S2 steel bits. It splits into three, with a ratcheting head at the top that can withstand up to 30Nm of torque. In the middle, there's an official Dynaplug insertion tool that covers tubeless tyre repair, alongside the CO2 inflator at the bottom of the tool.

www.canyon.com

Author block

Liam Mercer

Tech Editor here at off.road.cc Liam can also be found photographing bikes as well as revelling in cycling's intricacies. Whether it's gravel, mountain, or e-MTB as long as it's a bike on dirt, he's happy.