Starling Cycle's MegaMurmur, OneUp's composite pedals and Gore's summer shorts
Bringing you the coolest tech to grace the office and the best stories
Once again we've got another Five Cool Things. In this week's selection of tech, we've got Starling's brand-new Mega Murmur, shorts from Gore, eco-friendly kicks from Northwave and even more rubber from Pirelli. And that's not all as there are also some composite pedals from OneUp components.
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But Five Cool Things just wouldn't sit right if we didn't bring you the most interesting stories to hit the home page this week and with the UCI Cycling World Championships taking place throughout the week – and there have been some belters. We kicked off the week with our recap of the 2023 UCI Downhill MTB World Championships and what an event that was with technically and all British podium. Forest of Dean local, Charlie Hatton, took the top spot while Laurie Greenland followed in third. There were then two Atherton bikes on the podium, so it was a huge result for British mountain biking.
On top of that, we highlighted MVDP's triple-crown ambitions and saw that World Bicycle Relief gave fans the opportunity to win pro bikes.
But that's enough about racing as we brought you some important gravel race tips as well as a first ride review on the Vitus E-Mythique LT VR, a £3,300 Bafang-equipped e-MTB.
Northwave Tailwhip ECO EVO
£99
2023 northwave tailwhip.jpg, by Liam Mercer
The Tailwhip Eco Evo shoes are a big product for Northwave as it marks a step towards (no pun intended) environmental responsibility for the brand. To get there, the Tailwhip Eco Evo uses a sole that's built of 26% recycled rubber that's created in collaboration with Michelin.
The shoe's upper is made of 100% RePET recycled polyester, as well as the lining. The insole then uses 86% recycled polyurethane foam and the laces are also 100% recycled. It goes without saying that Northwave has really pushed the boat out on eco-friendliness.
Starling Cycles MegaMurmur
From £2,330
2023 starling megamurmur 5ct.jpg, by Liam Mercer
It's been a little while since we've seen a new bike from Starling Cycles and the Bristol brand has gone whole hog with its latest release, the MegaMurmur. At first glance, it looks very much like any old Murmur but as its name suggests, it's gone mega with a boost in suspension travel and an extended chainstay to name but two of its features.
Coming in as a heavy-hitting enduro or bike-park rig, the Mega Murmur dons a 170mm travelled fork and thanks to a new 455mm chainstay, it delivers 165mm of rear suspension. It also gets all of the new features that Starling brought with its range of V3 updates, including adjustable suspension travel, an aluminium seat tube insert and an anti-flare headtube.
While Starling offers the Mega Murmur with a plethora of build options, we've been given a bike that rocks Ohlins coil suspension, grippy Michelin Racing Line tyres, and a Funn finishing kit.
Pirelli Scorpion Enduro S Team-Edition
£70
2023 pirelli s team 5ct.jpg, by Liam Mercer
We've already reviewed a couple of models of the Scorpion Enduro S but here we have the Team-Edition tyre. That means it gets yellow logos that match the brand's Race tyre line-up. But it's not just the cool yellow colour that makes this tyre interesting as it benefits from Pirelli's SmartGRIP Gravity rubber compound and HardWALL tyre construction.
The S tread pattern is designed to perform at its best in soft and loose conditions thanks to its tall and widely spaced knobs.
OneUp Components Composite pedals
£50
2023 oneup composite pedals 5ct.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Next up is OneUp Components' Composite pedals. The brand boldly claims that these set the standard for all flat pedals as they get a large platform, replaceable pins and a slightly convex shape.
Coming in six colours, these rotate around black chromoly steel axles and get 10 pins per side. They look to be light too, weighing in at a claimed 355g.
Gore Fernflow shorts
£130
2023 gore fernflow shorts 5ct.jpg, by Liam Mercer
We've tested the women's shorts, now it's time to put the men's to the test. Gore says that the Fernflow shorts are designed to handle all conditions in technical terrain. As such, they get a fore-way stretch Cordura fabric and a DWR coating. There are plenty of pockets too with loads of space for large phones, and there's a smaller pocket at the rear for those essentials you need to keep secure.
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