Renthal grips, Shimano pedals, a Passport keg, a Genetic stem and a Surly bar

Your weekly update on the coolest kit and content on the site

Liam Mercer

Aug 19 2022

We've got even more cool kit to show you and, while there have been plenty of reviews this week, we've also put together a string of handy how-tos, not to mention a feature on the road bike vs mountain bike debate where we explore the differences - it's an interesting read so let us know what you think. Read on to check out the most interesting kit we've got in for testing and a further selection of our favourite articles of the week.

This week we've not got one but two how-tos where we go over everything you need to know about how to set up your mountain bike suspension as well as how to pack bikepacking bags. Both of those subjects can open up rather large cans of worms, meaning we could not possibly cover everything - so we welcome your views on these topics in the comments sections!

Moving onto reviews, we're excited to see Ty's write-up of the YT Industries Jeffsy 29 Core 3, the brand's all-mountain all-rounder as well as our review of the DT Swiss M 1900 SPLINE 29" wheelset, a budget-friendly but strong and reliable pair of wheels. Then for the bikepackers out there, see Suvi's thoughts on the Ortlieb Gravel Pack pannier bag pair. Now, let's take a look at Five Cool Things.

Genetic STV stem

£50

Genetic's STV stem comes with a very bold statement, claiming to be one of the lightest alloy stems you can buy. Built for road, track, cyclocross, and trail use, its hollow forged 7075 aluminium with a one-piece face plate. All hardware on this stem is stainless steel.

The STV is available with 60, 70, and 80mm lengths with 13 degrees of rise but 90, 100, 110, 120, and 130mm lengths get six degrees. This stem is built to clamp to a 1 1/8" steerer and has a 31.8mm clamp diameter.

Renthal Lock-On Grip Aramid

£34.96

Next up, we've got more grips from Renthal but this time they come in the form of the brand's Lock-On shape and Aramid compound. As to be expected from the motorsport experienced brand, they're rather techy. The Aramid rubber is designed to be tacky, shock absorbing but very durable.

That's because the base material in the rubber is made up of loads of strands of Kevlar Aramid resin particles. As the grip is used and worn in, these particles are then exposed which resists wear and retains the tacky feel.

These grips come with two 6082 T6 aluminium CNC machined collars and a diamond knurl pattern.

Surly Sunrise handlebar

£80

Surly's Sunrise bar is a strange mix of a normal mountain bike handlebar and what you would usually find on a BMX. The brand says that the Sunrise is a cruiser bar, a trail bar and a riser bar all rolled into one created with the aim of creating a comfortable handlebar whether you're pedalling to the pub or cruising around some off-road trails.

This bar is a whopping 82cm wide with 14.7 degrees of backsweep, 6.7-degrees of upsweep, and 83mm of rise. It also comes with a 22.2mm clamp diameter although, with the help of Surly's Problem Solvers shims, it can fit happily in 31.8mm stems.

Shimano PD-M540 SPD pedals

£70

Last week we saw Shimano's PD-M520 SPD pedals and now we've taken things up a notch with the PD-M540s. With their increased price they bring Chromoly spindles and sealed bearings. The cleat mechanisms on these pedals are totally customisable for entry and release tension while the pair of pedals are set to weigh 352g.

Passport Tool Keg

£9

It may look a bit like a water bottle but that's the very trick that the Passport Tool Keg has up its sleeve. Made from BPA-free polypropylene, this keg is designed to fit in most standard bottle cages.

The Tool Keg comes in two sizes, either 300ml or 750ml and it comes with a handy neoprene sleeve to deaden the sound of your tools rattling around. Then, the large opening should make it easy to access, but importantly, easy to clean.

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Liam Mercer

Since beginning his mountain biking career while working as a resort photographer in Greece in 2014, Liam became a freelance contributor at off.road.cc in 2019. From there, he’s climbed the journalism job ladder from staff writer to deputy technical editor, now finding his place as technical editor.

Partial to the odd enduro race, heart rate-raising efforts on slim-tyred cross-country bikes, hell-for-leather e-MTB blasts or even casual gravel jaunts, there’s not a corner of off-road cycling where Liam fears to tread. With more than 40 bike reviews under his belt and hundreds more on MTB, e-MTB and gravel parts and accessories, Liam’s expertise continues to be cemented and respected by the industry.