DMR's magnesium Vaults and ODUB bar, mudguards from Kinesis and shoes from Sidi
Plus highlights and top stories of the week
There's one thing you can always count on and that's an off.road.cc weekly Five Cool Things feature - we'll never leave you hanging thanks to the plethora of trick kit coming through our doors for testing. This week we're going to take a look at Kinesis' brand-new rear mudguard, Olly Wilkins' signature DMR handlebar as well as the brand's magnesium flat pedals. We've also got two pairs of shoes for two very different disciplines from Sidi, but before we dig in it's time to recap our important news stories and features from the week.
- The best (and worst) mountain bike upgrades under £100
- Schrader vs Presta – which valve standard is best for you?
- Buyer's guide to mountain bikes - get the best MTB for you
Despite it being a shorter week owing to the Easter holidays we still kept the engine room firing. On the reviews front, we kicked off the week with Pat's Orucase Smuggler HC handlebar bag and got into the details of the Troy Lee Designs Flowline SE helmet, Ohlins TTX22m.2 rear shock, TSG's Chamber Elbow Guard and Quoc's all-new Gran Tourer XC shoe.
It was a pretty big week for industry news, too, and announcements from some of the biggest players kept us busy. The Revel Ranger cross-country bike received a fresh rear end for better stiffness and more tyre clearance and Roval dropped the covers off the super-light Terra CLX II gravel wheelset.
And for those of you who enjoy big reads, Lance penned a feature on Kask's WG11 helmet test protocol and how it’s trying to change helmet safety, while Aaron looked at the SPAR Swiss Epic, highlighting ten reasons why you should enter one of the world's most spectacular mountain bike stage races.
Kinesis Fend Off Shorty - £35
2023 kinesis fend off shorty 5ct.jpg, by Liam Mercer
The Fend Off Shorty is Kinesis' latest mudguard that gets the very same profile as the award-winning Fend Off guards. The main mudguard is built from aluminium while the partly rubberised stays are made from stainless steel. And while designed for gravel bikes, the brand says it can be used whenever a rear mudguard is needed so that includes your road bike, mountain bike and commuter, too.
DMR ODUB bars - £75
2023 dmr odub bar 5ct.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Built and designed by DMR rider, Olly Wilkins, the Odub handlebar comes as a result of 20 years of development and feedback with DMR. With Olly's input, the brand aimed to create a bar with a shape that would feel familiar across each of the ambassador's bikes, whether that's his dirt jump bike or electric mountain bike.
This handlebar is available in three rise options, starting from 20mm and going up to 50, and accommodates either 31.8mm or 35mm clamp diameters. It measures 800mm in width and utilises a 7075 aluminium construction with spiral butting, to up the strength without sacrificing weight.
Sidi Dimaro Trail - £199
2023 sidi dimaro trail shoe 5ct.jpg, by Liam Mercer
The first Sidi shoe in the week's Five Cool Things is the Dimaro Trail. It's a shoe that's designed especially for downhill mountain biking and enduro mountain biking and comes as a result of decades of experience in creating high-performance cross-country mountain bike shoes. It features a Vibram sole and a durable upper to help the shoe cope with the demands of gravity riding and maximum grip, says the brand.
It's sorted with a breathable upper for big airflow and uses a reinforced toe box and heel cup for extra protection. Another neat feature is that the shoe can be used with either clipless or flat shoes thanks to a removable cap.
DMR Vault MG - £120
2023 DMR Vault magnesium.jpg, by Liam Mercer
This isn't just any DMR Vault pedal. Instead, it's a Vault made from magnesium that has been extracted from seawater using science. This pedal has been created through DMR's quest for environmentally friendly production methods using less processing energy and less waste while casting. The brand says that it's also more affordable and weighs 404g.
As for the spec, the painted black-finished platform spins on a Cro-Mo axle with a high-load DU bush and cartridge bearings. Measuring 105mmx105mm, there's a 17mm concave footbed and the steel pins are replaceable.
Sidi Dust MTB shoes - £260
2023 sidi mtb dust 5ct.jpg, by Liam Mercer
The Sidi Dust MTB is built for durability and protection with its protected toe and non-slip coating. The outer is built from Politex, a three-layer material that resists ripping, cutting, stretching and fading. It gets an MTB SR17 sole that's designed to bolster power transfer but flexible enough for pleasant walking.
The shoe then benefits from a Tecno-3 dial on the outer heel that allows for on-the-fly, precise adjustability. Strategically placed perforations promote airflow and there's an integrated heel cup that helps keep the shoe firmly in place.
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