Race Face's Era crankset, wheels from Hope, aggressive gravel tyres from Pirelli and more from Title

Our curation of the five coolest things in for testing and the top news of the week.

Liam Mercer

Aug 2 2024

This week's been huge on the news side with SRAM unveiling its all-new Red XPLR AXS drivetrain but with that, the cool things haven't stopped finding their way into the office. Here, we'll take a glance at Race Face's latest carbon crank, winter-ready gravel rubber from Pirelli and Hope's gravel wheelset. Bringing this edition of Five Cool Things to a close is a drink mix from Carbs Fuel and Title's low-profile grips.

Before diving into the coolest tech we've seen ahead of testing, let's take a look back at this week's news, and boy, it's been a big one on the tech front. The biggest news of the week was certainly the launch of SRAM's Red XPLR AXS groupset, which brings a gravel-specific direct-mount mech and 13-speed shifting to the fastest-growing genre of cycling. We didn't only cover the news, but our Aaron has been hot on the launch and ridden the groupset before its unveiling for a full SRAM Red XLPR AXS groupset review, giving it a huge 4.5 stars.

The extra gears were not the only thing SRAM launched, but its wheel brand Zipp also took some of the limelight with its interesting 303 S and SW wheelsets. Not only do these wheels get a deep profile for aero gains, but they're built with a wide 32mm internal width, which is wider than loads of mountain bike wheels on the market. On top of that, Goodyear has joined the party, providing two tyres that are specific to this wheelset and designed to work with the wide rims. As such, the tyres are only compatible with this one wheelset... and the tyre compatibility of the wheels in general is controversial, to say the least.

Moving on and off the back of the most exciting Olympic XCO we've seen in years, we took a look back at our first ride review of the Pinarello Dogma XC HT and we dive into the surprisingly deep world of bicycle dropouts to tell you everything you need to know about them. Aaron also delivers his verdict on the Favero Assioma Pro MX-2 pedals, rewarding them a coveted five stars.

If you're in the market for a fresh set of riding shoes, you're in luck as we've also highlighted the best mountain bike shoes of 2024. Speaking of highlights, make sure to also check out our Ard Rock 2024 gallery to find the best kit we found at the UK's biggest mountain bike festival.

Hope RX24 Pro 5gravel wheelset

£660

As the latest gravel entry from Hope, the RX24 Pro 5s are designed to be rugged and durable, allowing the rider to take on big distances with a greater ability to carry luggage thanks to a higher system weight, compared to the brand's other gravel and cyclo-cross wheels. Built with a 24mm internal width, they can fit tyres up to 60mm in width and they're supplied pre-taped, and with the latest alloy valves.

These are laced with Hope's new Pro 5 hubs in a straight-pull spoke configuration that promises faster engagement than before with a revised pawl design. The new hubs benefit from a zero-drag labyrinth seal, a stiffer step-down axle and a new hub body that's said to boost strength without adding weight.

The lacing is front and rear-specific, with the former being built with 24 spokes and the rear, 32. The rims are made of welded 6069 aluminium and are available in 700c diameter only. There are also brass nipples for durability, as well as a shot-peened finish.

www.hopetech.com

Race Face Era crankset

£450

Claiming to set a new era for carbon cranks the Race Face Era carbon cranks (see what they did there?) also claim to be the strongest, stiffest and most durable carbon cranks that the brand has ever produced. Slated to weigh 483g the Era cranks are built to last as each arm is sorted with a stainless steel plate that's been placed to protect the crank arms from the wear that's caused by friction between the crank and a rider's shoes. These plates also promise to add impact protection.

Race Face has also redesigned its pedal thread inserts, this time bonding them directly into the carbon. These are available in three lengths, 165, 170 and 175mm with a spindle size of 136mm and a Q-Factor of 176mm including pedal washers. Crank boots are included in the box and they'll match the colour crank you choose with seven colour options on offer.

Although pricy, Race Face provides a no-hassle, no-BS Lifetime Warranty that includes a level of crash replacement.

www.raceface.com

Pirelli Cintuarto Gravel S tyres

£65

Alright, so the soft terrain of winter is still a little way off, but there's no harm in being prepared, right? Pirelli's Cintuarto Gravel S tyres are designed for exactly that with an aggressive tread pattern that should hook up in areas where grip is scarce.

That said, Pirelli claims that the Gravel S is the tyre to go for if you're a rider who wants a reliable and easy-to-control tyre in every condition. We'll see what our tester has to say about that.

These boast the brand's SpeedGRIP rubber compound which is a gravel-specific rubber that uses knowledge gained in the World Rally Championship. While we can't promise that you'll be cornering quite like Colin McCrae, Pirelli says that this compound balances 'energetic efficiency' without compromising available grip. The Cinturato Gravel S tyres can be picked up in 700c and in 40-50mm widths.

www.pirelli.com

Carbs Fuel Original Sports Drink Mix

£34

Regular readers of Five Cool Things might remember the Carbs Fuel gels we featured a few months back. Well, now, the Colorado-based company has launched a brand-new product – Carbs Fuel Original Sport Drink Mix. Like the gels, the drink has a faint citrus flavour so you won't overwhelm your taste buds deep into a four or five-hour ride.

The drink delivers 75g of carbs, 300 calories and 500mg of sodium per serving, and should be used together with gels and water to ensure you keep your carbs topped up at the now-standard 100g per hour rate. The drink mix is housed within a stand-up pouch complete with ziplock and contains a collective 1,000g of carbs. The drink mix is also available in a single-serving sachet, measured perfectly for a full serving.

"I've been using the drink together with the gels for three weeks now and have been impressed with the consistent energy levels I've maintained through training and racing. I'll continue to put it to the test on some longer rides as I ramp up my training for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in August in Denmark and will share my findings as soon as I can." - Aaron Borrill

www.carbsfuel.com

Title L01 grips

£37

Utilising a wavy texture, Title's L01 grips come at a premium price but for that, you get a super low-profile feel. Though, as slim as they are, Title has built extra support that sits under the palm through special contouring that's hard to see, but definitely there.

These also get a protective lip to guard the hand against the clamp's bolt. The grips are 135mm wide with a 30mm diameter, Title claims they weigh 90g a pair and they're available in six colours.

www.titlemtb.com

Author block

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.