Cannondale's Lab71 SuperX, SRAM Eagle 90 and Motive brakes, the Canyon Exceed and Smith's new downhill helmet
Posh bikes, fresh drivetrains and the best stories of the week.
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As well as this week's best stories.
Five Cool Things is back – and we've got some seriously cool kit to show off.
This week's five cool things and the top stories of the week!
We take a look at the best coffee table literature as well as this week's hottest products.
This week has been one for the books on the release front and some of that fresh tech has made it into the hands of our expert testers. In this week's Five Cool Things, we're going to check out SRAM's new Eagle 90 drivetrain, Cannondale's Lab71Super X gravel race bike, and Canyon's updated Exceed mountain bike. On top of all that, we've got Smith's new downhill full-face helmet and new brakes.
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- Five things that weren't cool - until gravel happened
But before jumping into the good stuff, let's glance over those stories. Fox kicked off the week as it continued the update to its range of forks with the 36 that now benefits from a stiffer chassis and a new airspring. The 36 SL has replaced the 34, bringing bigger stiffness to an aggressive trail fork. Then, in more significant news, SRAM's new Eagle 90 and 70 has introduced T-Type tech to cable-actuated drivetrains. The brand has also overhauled its brake lineup and introduced the Motive.
We've been going hard on the Cape Epic content, firstly with a race recap and also bringing some bike checks from some of the event's top riders. We had a close look at Bianca Haw's Titan Racing Cypher as well as Keegan Swenson's Santa Cruz Blur. There's more to come, too, so watch this space.
As for our unending stream of reviews, we brought our verdict on Muc-Off's Big Bore Lite tubeless valves and Hope's Evo Crankset. There are also Matt's thoughts on Tailfin's Long Top Tube Bag.
Cannondale SuperX Lab71
£12,500
2025 cannondale super x hero.jpg, by Liam Mercer
We're kicking this week off with a rather sizeable bang, a £12,500-sized bang. The Lab71 SuperX is Cannondale's latest flagship gravel bike that's built for one thing – racing. With sights set on the highest podiums, the Lab71 version of the SuperX revolves around a Series 0 carbon frame that employs the brand's Proportional Response construction. With a bunch of aero features designed to reduce drag, the frame's backed by Cannondale's lifetime warranty, too, which you would certainly hope given its price.
Driving the bike is SRAM's Red XPLR AXS groupset, which gets an integrated power meter and rolls on a set of Reserve's 40|44 GR wheels wrapped in 700x40c Vittoria Terreno tyres. Although the frame is something to behold, the Momodesign SystemBar R-One cockpit is a serious centrepiece on an already high-end machine. Of course, there's a slew of CeramicSpeed bearings to keep things rolling as effortlessly as possible.
Canyon Exceed CF 8
£3,749
2025 canyon exceed hero.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Like Orbea, Canyon believes that there's still life in the humble cross-country hardtail yet and, while I'm sure we'll see an Exceed or two hammering the world's toughest XC circuits, the newest version gets a long-distance/bikepacking angle. This iteration brings a few updates over the previous models, such as downtube storage – but the most important is that its geometry has been tweaked to make for a more versatile machine, says Canyon.
It benefits from a slacker, 67-degree head tube angle, a 75-degree seat tube angle and a longer reach, with this medium utilising a 447mm measurement.
In the front triangle, there's space for two water bottles and a frame bag, and the bike now runs a 73mm BSA threaded bottom bracket for ease of service and parts availability. Rolling on 29in wheels at both ends, the Exceed rocks 100mm of suspension travel thanks to a RockShox SID Select+. Shifting is provided by SRAM with a mix of S1000 and GX T-Type components, and there's a pair of carbon DT Swiss XRC LOG wheels.
SRAM Eagle 90 Transmission
£655
2025 sram eagle mech 2.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Some of the biggest news to hit the industry this week was SRAM's unveiling of its T-Type mechanical drivetrains, and here, we've got Eagle 90. It's a cable-actuated drivetrain that aims to carry all of the values introduced by the T-Type AXS drivetrains but brings the simplicity of cable-actuation into the mix, while bringing that technology to a more accessible price point.
Eagle 90, specifically, uses a lot of the same kit you'll see on GX T-Type AXS, such as the same flattop chain and the cassette, but it's all in that derailleur where the magic happens. Even though it uses the Full Mount hangerless design, it's a very different bit of kit, but SRAM says that it's the most rebuildable derailleur the brand has ever created.
Cool features stretch to the crankset, too, as it comes in a wide range of lengths, from 175 to 150mm (if you ride an e-MTB). Eagle 90 uses a stamped steel chainring chosen for its durability and to further reduce the price.
We've been running Eagle 90 for around a month already, so head over to the SRAM Eagle 90 Transmission first ride review to get our early impressions.
SRAM Motive Ultimate Expert Kit
£585
2025 sram motive 1.jpg, by Liam Mercer
SRAM wasn't all about shifting this week as it also announced a total overhaul of its braking lineup up as well as introducing the Motive brake. Taking the place of the Level, the Motive is directed towards cross-country and aggressive trail riding as it brings more power at the expense of a few extra grams, as the brand claims it's the 'lightest heavy duty brake' it's made.
Like the rest of SRAM's new brake range, it uses mineral oil rather than DOT fluid, which is always pleasant to see but, similarly to the Maven, the Motive is available in a limited-edition Expert Kit that packs a selection of rotors, a bleed kit as well as everything you'll need to mount and look after the brakes.
Smith Hardline Composite
£360
2025 smith mainline.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Last but not least is Smith's new Hardline helmet. As its name suggests, it uses a composite outer shell band that uses both Mips and Koroyd for added safety – a staple of many Smith helmets. There are also collarbone impact protection zones built in to reduce the risk of collarbone impacts with the helmet.
There's a quick release pad system for easier removal in the case of an emergency, and along with three sizes, each gets a selection of different-sized pads to help tune the fit. As a brand with roots deep in the eyewear market, the Hardline gets Smith's AirEvac ventilation system that's shaped to integrate with Smith goggles and help shift fog.
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